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 North Carolina, the practice of aiding someone to end their life, commonly referred to as assisted suicide or euthanasia, is illegal. The state does not have a Death with Dignity statute or similar legislation that allows terminally ill patients to legally obtain prescriptions for life-ending medications. Assisting in suicide is considered a felony under North Carolina law, and any person or physician who participates in such acts can face criminal prosecution. The state's stance on this issue is consistent with the majority of states in the U.S., where assisted suicide remains illegal. North Carolina's laws reflect a position that prioritizes the preservation of life and does not recognize a legal right to die. Individuals and attorneys navigating end-of-life issues in North Carolina must do so within the framework of existing state laws that do not permit any form of assisted suicide.