Tasering Patients - A Bioethical Assessment of Taser Use Against Mental Health Inpatients in New Zealand.

Abstract

Tasers, a form of police weaponry causing neuromuscular incapacitation and extreme pain, were confirmed in 2010 to be used in New Zealand inpatient mental health units. Their use on patients, or tāngata whai ora (persons seeking wellbeing), raises ethical concerns about harm prevention, moral duties, and human rights in healthcare. The New Zealand healthcare system, grounded in principles and rights, regulates procedures to uphold fundamental rights. This article explores the ethical justifications and criticisms of taser use in mental health wards from a principlist perspective. It questions the ethical limits of State power regarding non-maleficence, beneficence, and autonomy, arguing that tasers pose disproportionate harm to vulnerable patients and undermine ethical healthcare standards. Concerns are raised to promote policy development, monitoring, and reporting, aimed at addressing the ethical issues associated with taser use in mental health settings.