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 Georgia, the right to die or physician-assisted suicide is not legally recognized. The state's laws prohibit assisting in suicide, and such actions can lead to criminal prosecution. Georgia does not have a Death with Dignity statute or similar legislation that allows terminally ill patients to legally obtain prescriptions for life-ending medications. The states that do have such laws are California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, along with the District of Columbia. Additionally, while Montana does not have a statute, its Supreme Court has indicated that physician-assisted death is not illegal under certain circumstances. In Georgia, however, any form of euthanasia or assisted suicide remains against the law, reflecting the state's stance on the issue which is influenced by ethical, moral, and legal considerations.