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 Connecticut, as of the knowledge cutoff date in 2023, there is no statute that explicitly allows for physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia. The state does not have a 'Death with Dignity' law similar to those in states like California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, nor a court ruling like Montana's that permits physician assistance in dying under certain circumstances. Assisting someone in ending their life in Connecticut could result in criminal prosecution for murder or other charges related to assisting suicide. The topic of the right to die is complex and intersects with various deeply held beliefs and legal considerations. In Connecticut, individuals and their families must navigate end-of-life decisions within the existing legal framework, which does not currently recognize a legal right to physician-assisted suicide.