In today's society, legalizing doctor-assisted suicide is a prevalent topic. In 1997, the Supreme Court recognized no federal constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide (Harned 1), which defines suicide as receiving help from a physician using a lethal dose (Pearson 1), leaving state legislatures to legalize this practice. practice if you want. Only Oregon and Washington have since legalized physician-assisted suicide. People who seek assisted suicide often experience distorted judgments and are generally not mentally healthy. Legalizing this practice would allow people to fall victim to coercion by friends and family to commit suicide. Furthermore, calling for death is unfair to a doctor's personal dogma. Some argue that society should honor the freedom of choice to take one's own life with the assistance of a doctor; however, given the reasoning provided, it is in society's best interest for physician-assisted suicide to remain illegal. Doctor-assisted suicide should not be legalized because people who attempt suicide experience distorted judgments that lead to them not being mentally equipped to make such a decision, people who feel like a burden to their family may choose death as a result, and doctors should not be forced to go against their personal doctrines and promises. One reason why physician-assisted suicide should not be legalized is that the person attempting suicide often has a mental disorder and therefore experiences distorted judgments. Most, if not all, suicidal people suffer from depression (Harned 514). Victims of depression experience extreme emotional difficulties and this, as a result, impairs simple cognitive abilities and leads to a sense of guilt which ultimately has a negative effect on self-esteem (Balc...... center of paper.. ... March 2014. “Do Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Violate the Hippocratic Oath?” ProCon.org Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church, 2001. Web March 21, 2014. Easton, John. ” University of Chronicle Chicago. UChicago.edu, July 14, 2005. Web. March 22, 2014. Harned, Mary. “The Dangers of Assisted Suicide Americans United for Life,” April 3, 2012. Web .M., Lee, and Alexander Stingl “Assisted Suicide: An Overview.” Pearson, John. “Point: Assisted Suicide Is Not Necessary.” 2013. 2. Virtual Library of Alabama. Reference Center Points of View. March 20 2014.