Assisted suicide in the United States

Rare card · No. 44776

In the United States, the term "assisted suicide" is typically used to describe what proponents refer to as "medical aid in dying" (MAID), in which a terminally ill adult is prescribed, and self-administers, barbiturates if they feel that they are suffering significantly. The term is often used interchangeably with "physician-assisted suicide" (PAS), "physician-assisted dying", "physician-assisted death", and "assisted death". Assisted suicide is similar to, but distinct from, euthanasia (sometimes called "mercy killing"). In cases of euthanasia, another party acts to bring about the person's death, in order to end ongoing suffering. In cases of assisted suicide, a second person provides the means through which the individual is able to voluntarily end their own life, but they do not directly cause the individual's death. As of 2026, physician-assisted suicide, or "medical aid in dying", is legal in fourteen US jurisdictions: Illinois, California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia...

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