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 Arizona, the right to die or physician-assisted suicide is not legally recognized. The state does not have a statute that allows terminally ill patients to end their lives with the assistance of a physician. Assisting in suicide remains illegal under Arizona law, and individuals involved in aiding another person to commit suicide could face criminal charges. The topic of physician-assisted suicide is complex and involves ethical, moral, religious, and legal considerations. While some states in the U.S. have enacted 'Death with Dignity' laws that permit medically assisted death under certain conditions, Arizona is not among them. Therefore, any form of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide is not permitted, and those who participate in such acts may be subject to prosecution under the state's criminal laws.