Many people have strong beliefs about whether a person should have the right to die when they choose—to end a person’s own perceived pain and suffering, especially when they are terminally ill. These beliefs are often rooted in religion, morals, ethics, law (government-made and natural), and spirituality. Depending on a person’s beliefs or point of view, the issue and related laws may also be referred to as death with dignity, assisted suicide, aid in dying, physician assisted suicide, euthanasia, end of life options, and patient choice and control at the end of life.

Currently eight states and the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) have laws (statutes) that permit persons to choose when to end their lives under certain circumstances. These states include (1) California, (2) Colorado, (3) Hawaii, (4) Maine, (5) New Jersey, (6) Oregon, (7) Vermont, and (8) Washington. And although the state of Montana does not have such a statute its supreme court has ruled that nothing in the state’s law prohibits a physician from honoring a terminally ill but mentally competent patient’s request to prescribe medication to expedite the patient’s death. In states without such laws a physician or other person’s act of assisting a person with suicide is generally subject to criminal prosecution for murder or other criminal charges.

In Alabama, the practice of assisted suicide, including any form of euthanasia or aid in dying, is illegal. Alabama law specifically prohibits assisting in suicide, and such an act is considered a Class C felony under Alabama Code § 13A-6-2. This means that any person, including physicians, who provides the means or participates in the act of assisting another person to end their life, could face criminal charges. The state does not have a Death with Dignity statute or any legal provisions that allow terminally ill patients to legally obtain prescriptions for life-ending medications. The beliefs and discussions surrounding the right to die are complex and involve various ethical, moral, religious, and legal considerations. However, under current Alabama state law, all forms of assisted suicide are unequivocally prohibited and subject to legal penalties.