What is Assisted suicide?
'''Assisted suicide''' is when somebody who wants to commit [[suicide]] ([[right to die|wants to die]]) is helped to do this by someone else. Normally, people who ask for assisted suicide are very ill and in a lot of pain, so they want someone to help them to die, for example by being given access to [[drug]]s which will kill them. Some people prefer the terms '''aid in dying''' or '''death with dignity''' to describe assisted suicide. The term '''[[euthanasia]]''' is sometimes used, although euthanasia is generally regarded as different to assisted suicide, as it involves causing a person to die rather than helping them to kill themselves. The law about this varies a lot in different countries. In many countries it is not allowed, and the person who helps someone to die may be [[arrest]]ed and sent to [[prison]]. [[Physician]]-assisted suicide is legal in some countries, under certain circumstances, including [[Austria]], [[Belgium]], Canada, [[Germany]], [[Luxembourg]], the [[Netherlands]], [[New Zealand]], [[Portugal]], [[Spain]], [[Switzerland]], 10 [[U.S. state|states]] of the United States and all six states of Australia. In general to make it legal the person who wants to die has to show that they are of [[sound mind]], [[Informed consent|voluntarily]] and repeatedly expressing their wish to die, and take the specified, lethal dose by their own hand. In 2024 several other countries are talking about making this legal. Jersey and the [[Isle of Man]] considering this puts pressure on the [[United Kingdom]] to do the same. <ref>{{Cite web|title=The UK’s assisted dying debate is reaching a tipping point|url=https://www.ft.com/content/29bfb63a-51c4-4534-99b3-22e18b0cccf4|access-date=2024-03-10|website=www.ft.com}}</ref> Some people who are very ill and want to die may go to these countries, such as Switzerland, in order to end their life. ==Related pages== *[[Dignitas (euthanasia group)]] *[[Right to die]] ==References== {{reflist}} {{Med-stub}} [[Category:Suicide]] [[Category:Euthanasia]]