Sometimes this is called direct or positive euthanasia. There are three forms of active euthanasia. First, voluntary active euthanasia, when the person being killed gives free and informed consent. Secondly, nonvoluntary active euthanasia is performed on persons who are not capable of giving free and informed consent. Thirdly, involuntary active euthanasia is the act of killing on those who refuse to give free and informed consent but are put to death anyway.
Passive euthanasia carries the same distinctions of voluntary, nonvoluntary and involuntary.
Notice in the definition in Declaration on Eu-thanasia that active and passive euthanasia are morally the same act. Another distinction, which is made, is that passive euthanasia and the act of withdrawing or withholding medical treatments because these treatments are useless or burdensome are not morally the same act. Notice it is not if the patient s life is considered useless or burdensome but if the treatment is useless or burdensome. Again, for a healthy teenager a needed amputation is not useless or too burdensome. Three main reasons have emerged to justify euthanasia.