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 Dakota, the practice of assisted suicide, including physician-assisted suicide, 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 someone in ending their life is considered a criminal act and can lead to charges such as murder or manslaughter. The beliefs and debates surrounding the right to die involve complex ethical, moral, religious, and legal considerations, but as of the current legal framework in North Dakota, any form of euthanasia or assisted suicide remains against the law. Individuals or attorneys involved in such acts may face serious legal consequences.