UK Members of Parliament will discuss and vote on legislation that could legalise assisted dying in the country. As the UK debates and votes, this article explores the countries where these practices are legal.
UK MPs to debate and vote on assisted dying (Photo credit: Raffi Maghdessian/Cavan/Getty Images/Representative Image)
New Delhi: We have heard about the Right to Live, but the Right to Die? There are countries which allow assisted dying. But what is assisted dying? Assisted dying mostly refers to a person who is terminally ill receiving lethal drugs from a medical practitioner, which they administer themselves. Is it different from assisted suicide and euthanasia? And what countries allow any of these? Let us find out in this article.
Countries Where Assisted Dying, Assisted Suicide or Euthanasia is Legal: A Comprehensive List
Switzerland has allowed assisted suicide since 1942. Its Dignitas facility helps both Swiss and foreign patients. From 1998 to 2023, it assisted 571 Britons in dying.
Assisted suicide is also legal in Austria.
In the US, 11 states—Oregon, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Washington, Hawaii, New Jersey, Vermont, Maine, and Washington DC—allow “physician-assisted dying”. This means doctors can prescribe lethal drugs for patients to take themselves.
Voluntary euthanasia is legal in Canada. It is called medical assistance in dying. Doctors or nurse practitioners can provide it either in person or by prescribing drugs for self-administration.
Spain and Colombia also have laws that allow assisted suicide, and they permit voluntary euthanasia.
In Australia, assisted dying is legal in some parts, but laws vary by state.
New Zealand‘s End of Life Choice Act allows assisted dying for adults who have only a few months left to live. They can request help from a medical professional.
The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg allow people who are not terminally ill to receive assistance to die.
Now, let us look at countries where it is under review
Australia legalised assisted dying in all its states by 2022, but it is yet to be legalised in the Northern and Australian Capital Territories. This may change soon.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron supports a bill to legalise assisted dying, which the National Assembly will examine in May. The Bill will apply to people with incurable illnesses who can make their own decisions.
In Germany, assisted suicide is not officially legal, but it exists in a “grey area”. However, there is still no law to regulate assisted dying, and some people strongly oppose it.
In the United States, nearly 20 other states are considering bills to legalise assisted dying.
Assisted Suicide vs Euthanasia: Understanding the Differences
Assisted suicide means helping someone to end their life. This can include providing them with lethal medication or helping them travel to a place where they can die, even if they are not terminally ill.
Euthanasia is when a doctor intentionally ends a person’s life to relieve their suffering. The doctor gives a lethal drug. The patient does not have to be terminally ill. There are two types of euthanasia: voluntary, where the patient agrees, and non-voluntary, where the patient cannot agree, like if they are in a coma.
In the news
On Friday, November 29, British lawmakers will vote on supporting assisted dying. The Bill presented in the parliament split the House and the country. The attempt to change the law in a decade has caused a national debate in Britain. According to a report in Reuters, polls show that a majority of Britons back assisted dying.
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