US Legality of Assisted Suicide

Is PAS Legal Anywhere in the United States?

Assisted suicide is currently legal only in the state of Oregon.

It is expressly criminalized in Louisiana.

How has the Supreme Court Spoken on the Issue?

In Washington v Glucksberg (1997) and Vacco v Quill (1997), the Supreme Court did not do what Roe v Wade did: it stated that the Constitution does not provide assisted suicide as a right within the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. In other words, the Supreme Court allowed states to pass bans on assisted suicide.

In addition, Glucksberg and Vacco both stated that preventing suicide was an interest of the court, assisted suicide would be extremely difficult to manage, and it would lead to an evitable slide to euthanasia.

However, in 2006, in Gonzales v Oregon, the Supreme Court did not strike down Oregon's allowance of assisted suicide.

Americans United for Life's Defending Life 2007 provides great articles on the subject:
Preserving Human Dignity at the End of Life
Physician Assisted Suicide

Have other states attempted to legalize it?

Since 1994 when Oregon approved assisted suicide by ballot measure, over 80 measures have been introduced in 21 states to legalize assisted suicide and/or euthanasia. All have failed.

Four states – Washington, California, Michigan, and Maine – have defeated ballot measures to legalize assisted suicide and/or euthanasia.

In 2007, major legislative attempts to legalize assisted suicide were defeated in Hawaii, Vermont and California.

Assisted suicide is specifically prohibited in many of the states, including Louisiana.

Click here to review “Failed Attempts to Legalize Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide in the United States.

The Oregon Experience

Click here to read personal stories of how supposed “safeguards” in the Oregon law have failed to protect people from abuse or exploitation.

Visit Oregon Right to Life

Visit the Nightingale Alliance