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 the state of Mississippi, there are no statutes that permit individuals to choose to end their lives, even under certain circumstances such as terminal illness. Unlike the eight states and the District of Columbia that have 'Death with Dignity' laws, and Montana where the state's Supreme Court has allowed physician-assisted death under certain conditions, Mississippi maintains traditional prohibitions against assisted suicide. Assisting someone with suicide in Mississippi could lead to criminal prosecution for murder or other serious criminal charges. The state's stance on this issue is influenced by a combination of legal, ethical, moral, and religious considerations, reflecting the broader societal debate on the right to die and end-of-life options.