AbstractEuthanasia is a long-debated topic, dating back to decades in our country alone. Both sides of the argument have valid points from a moral and ethical perspective. The Netherlands has had euthanasia laws in place since 1973. America has very few states with legislation in place: Oregon went into effect in 1997, Washington in 2008. Germany has experimented with active euthanasia in the 1990s. 30, causing one of the most horrendous genocides of the past. millennium. Nowhere else do we have a more at-risk cohort than the elderly, as they fall prey to the pressure to get out of the way, and with a growing population of baby boomers becoming elderly, our already strained system now faces increased pressure even greater. Although there is widespread acceptance of euthanasia for terminally ill people in the Netherlands, the debate over who is entitled to the procedure and how it should be controlled is far from over. (Sunny, Bloyd, 1995) Introduction The purpose of this article is to briefly explore euthanasia with its different definitions, and to explore whether or not active euthanasia should be practiced in our hospitals, nursing homes and on elderly people. In a survey of 168 frail elderly patients at Dukes Geriatric Clinic, researchers found that 39.9% supported physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. 59.3% of the patients' 146 relatives, including spouses, children and siblings, favored the same measure under the same circumstances, says Harold Koenig, lead researcher of the study published in the October issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Duke University Alumni Magazine, (March 2008) Euthanasia: Greek for the Good Death. Euthanasia: Killing a person or animal who is in a terminal condition with a large amount of...... middle of paper.... ..does not increase the severity of depression among family members. Results of a study. Science Daily.com Oregon Health and Science University conducted a study on how a patient who ends their life does not subject their family to more depression than one who dies naturally, also suggesting that family members feel relieved by the fact that the patient no longer suffers. Difference of Opinion (March 2008). Duke University Alumni Magazine, accessed 02/21/2010. Probably the most up-to-date study on the opinions of the elderly and their families on euthanasia, in this case on doctor-assisted suicide. Dr. Koenig undertook this research because he believed there was a lack of data on how older adults feel about this topic. The study goes on to state that more than 60% of adults surveyed approve of physician-assisted suicide, despite being younger and healthier