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 York, the practice of assisted suicide, where an individual helps another person voluntarily end their life, is illegal. New York does not have a statute that allows for 'death with dignity' or 'physician-assisted suicide,' unlike the eight states and the District of Columbia where such practices are legal under certain conditions. New York's Penal Law § 120.30 specifically criminalizes the promotion of a suicide attempt, and § 125.15 addresses manslaughter in the second degree, which can include assisting in a suicide. Therefore, any person, including physicians, who assists in the suicide of another person could potentially face criminal charges in New York. The state's laws reflect a position that prioritizes the preservation of life and the prevention of suicide, without the legal option for individuals to choose to end their lives due to terminal illness or severe suffering.