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 New Jersey, the Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act, which took effect on August 1, 2019, allows terminally ill patients to end their lives in a dignified and humane manner. This law permits adults who are mentally capable and have a prognosis of six months or less to live to obtain a prescription for medication that they can self-administer to hasten their death. The process includes multiple safeguards, such as requiring two physicians to confirm the patient's diagnosis, prognosis, and capacity to make informed decisions. Additionally, the patient must make two oral requests and one written request, with witnesses, for the life-ending medication. The law reflects the state's recognition of the complex issues surrounding end-of-life choices and provides a legal option for those who meet strict criteria to choose when and how they die, aligning with the views of those who support death with dignity and patient choice at the end of life.