The morphine wasn't killing him - at proper palliative doses it relieves suffering while the underlying disease causes death, a crucial ethical and medical distinction in end-of-life care.
I can't talk about the specific case mentioned here, but... Morphines are indeed used in palliative medicine to unofficially end the suffering. This is a fact that is not talked about much, because it is highly illegal. I had a chat with a palliative doctor just 2 years ago, and she confirmed this to me. At some point, they decide it is finally enough, and overdose. IMO, a very humane approach. I hereby thank everyone involved in such things for taking the risk to shorten the final days of a dying person, to avoid unnecessary pain. I can only hope, when my time comes, that some angel around me will do the same for me.
Unofficial MAID.
Medical Assistance In Dying, for the curious
Thank you, I forgot that Canada is ahead of much of the world on this
Not all who get this help are equal. If you argued loudly that humans must suffer for religious reasons , you may get to suffer for obvious reasons by the medical personal refusing to touch your case. Kharma is a beach, all things flow back and forth, the suffering yoz caused, it comes back to you in your final moments .
Amen my friend. I don't think the people who make these kinds of laws have spent anywhere near enough time talking to people who are dying and suffering from extreme pain. I wrote a research paper in college about the subject and felt pretty agnostic about it (i.e. there were interesting arguments with merit on both sides) until watching my grandparents and many relatives and friends over the years die from cancer and other painful things. I am no longer agnostic on it. I think somebody making or supporting these types of laws are actively advocating for torture.
If that's in line with the patient's wishes, cool. Otherwise, not so cool, both for the act of killing someone and for undermining the arguments in favor of legal euthanasia.
The Dr who treated my brother while he was dying explained this really well; the reduced pain can actually extend life (on the order of minutes) because the reduced discomfort/pain allowed him to continue breathing longer than he would have otherwise.
A crucial distinction that is frequently not respected, for good reasons.