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 Ohio, as of the current legal framework, there is no statute that allows for assisted suicide or euthanasia. Ohio law considers assisted suicide a criminal act. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3795.01 et seq., assisting suicide is a felony offense. This means that any person who knowingly assists another in ending their life can face criminal charges. The state does not have a 'Death with Dignity' law or similar legislation that permits terminally ill patients to legally obtain prescriptions for life-ending medications. The views on this topic are diverse and can be influenced by religious, moral, ethical, and legal considerations. However, the legal stance in Ohio is clear in prohibiting any form of assisted suicide or euthanasia, aligning with the majority of states that have not legalized such practices.