Euthanasia means different things to different people. The definition provided by www.eutanasia.com states that euthanasia is “the intentional killing, by act or omission, of a dependent human being for his or her perceived advantage. (The key word here is “intentional”. If the death is unwanted, it is not an act of euthanasia).” The euthanasia website lists several key definitions such as voluntary euthanasia, involuntary euthanasia, assisted suicide, and euthanasia by act or omission. There are those who believe that euthanasia is an act of compassion towards the end of one's life, while others, such as www.eutanasia.com, say they are "committed to the fundamental belief that the intentional killing of another person is wrong." The information outlined in this article will help the reader understand what euthanasia is, how this practice is viewed by the rest of the world where services are legal, the pros and cons, the effect it has on healthcare workers, patients' experiences centered, as well as what patients use as an alternative to this practice. The roots of euthanasia can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome, before Christianity spread to the region according to Dowbiggin (2003). Greek and Roman attitudes deemed it socially acceptable to include infanticide, active euthanasia, and suicide as a means of ending suffering in the face of prolonged suffering and agony (Dowbiggin 2003). In this period of paganism there was no defined belief in the intrinsic value of individualized human life, so the likelihood of doctors performing abortions or mercy killings was very high (Dowbiggin 2003). Although there was a Hippocratic Oath in this period, few followed the oath... middle of paper... f-Determination, the right to die, and culture: a review of the literature. Social Work, 56(2), 119-128.http://www.patientsrightscouncil.org/site/frequently-asked-questions/ProCon.org. (2010, September 28). Historical chronology. Euthanasia.ProCon.org. Retrieved from http://eutanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000130Dowbiggin, I. R. (2003). A Merciful End: The Euthanasia Movement in Modern America. Oxford [England: Oxford University Press. Worrying economic undercurrent in the euthanasia debate. (Reville, W. 2010, December 16). Irish Times,20.Ian Frazer. (2011, July 16). The final frontier Dr. Philip Nitschke talks about voluntary euthanasia. Townsville Bulletin, 311.Margaret Somerville. (2009, November 6). Euthanasia would harm doctors; We must consider the damage it would do to medicine if doctors were allowed to kill. The Ottawa Citizen, A.15.