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 Alaska, the right to die or physician-assisted suicide is not legally recognized. Unlike the eight states and the District of Columbia that have Death with Dignity statutes allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives under certain conditions, Alaska does not have such a law. Assisting someone with suicide in Alaska could lead to criminal prosecution for murder or other charges. Individuals and attorneys in Alaska must navigate end-of-life issues within the framework of existing state laws that do not permit any form of assisted suicide. It's important for residents to understand that while the topic is complex and intersects with various beliefs, the legal stance in Alaska is clear in its prohibition of assisted suicide.