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 Oregon, the right to die is legally recognized under the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, which was enacted in 1997. This law allows terminally ill Oregon residents to end their lives through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications, expressly prescribed by a physician for that purpose. To qualify, patients must be adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live, and they must be deemed mentally competent to make and communicate health care decisions. The process requires two oral requests, one written request, and a waiting period between the requests. Additionally, two physicians must confirm the diagnosis and prognosis, and the patient must be informed of feasible alternatives, including palliative care. The law aims to ensure that individuals have the autonomy to choose a dignified and peaceful end to their suffering while providing safeguards to prevent abuse and coercion. It is important to note that the terms 'assisted suicide' and 'euthanasia' are not used in the context of the Oregon law, as it specifically requires the act to be self-administered by the patient.