Should laws permit physicians to perform euthanasia?

Pro: Few people have the expertise to administer euthanasia; some could cause great suffering. Physicians are especially capable of minimizing the fear and pain associated with dying. Doctors would be best suited for competent administration of euthanasia.

Pro: Physicians have the duty to relieve suffering. The licensing of physicians ensures that they will perform euthanasia in accordance with professional norms and the generally accepted standards of society.

Con: Physicians have the responsibility of preserving life and health, and they have the obligation to avoid causing death. Giving physicians the permission to perform euthanasia creates a conflict of roles and may reduce the trust that patients put in their doctors. Patients may lose faith that their doctors will do everything within reason to save lives. Some patients may fear, for example, that a physician who wants to satisfy a dying patient's need for the transplantation of a vital organ may see another dying patient as a potential source of the organ and hasten the dying of the one person to save the other.

Con: The acceptance of euthanasia would result in an institution that might be difficult to keep in check. The precedent established might have undesirable consequences: innocent and unwilling people might be put to death.