title: Are the distinctions drawn in the debate about end-of-life decision making "principled"? If not, how much does it matter?
abstract: The current ethical-legal consensus - prohibiting assisted suicide and euthanasia, but (1) allowing patients to forgo all life-saving treatment, and (2) permitting pain relief that increases the risk of death - is a means of having it both ways. This is how we often make "tragic choices."
authors.affiliation: University of San Diego School of Law, USA.
authors.forename: Yale
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamisar
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence