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 Utah, the practice of aiding someone to end their life, commonly referred to as assisted suicide or euthanasia, is illegal. Utah does not have a Death with Dignity statute or any law that allows terminally ill patients to legally obtain prescriptions for life-ending medications. Assisting in suicide is considered a criminal act under Utah law, and individuals involved in such acts may face serious legal consequences, including charges for manslaughter or, potentially, murder. The state's stance on this issue reflects a position that does not support the right to die, and any form of physician-assisted suicide is not permitted. This contrasts with the eight states and the District of Columbia where laws are in place to allow terminally ill patients to choose to end their lives under specific circumstances, and with Montana, where the state's Supreme Court has recognized the legality of physician-assisted death under certain conditions.