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 West Virginia, the practice of assisted suicide, including physician-assisted suicide, is illegal. The state does not have a statute that allows for 'death with dignity' or similar end-of-life options that are legal in some other states and the District of Columbia. Assisting someone in ending their life is generally considered a criminal act and could lead to charges such as murder or manslaughter. West Virginia's laws reflect a position that does not permit individuals to legally choose to end their lives with the assistance of a physician or any other person, regardless of their medical condition or level of suffering. Those who hold strong beliefs in favor of such rights do not have legal support for these practices under current West Virginia law.