Physician-assisted suicide is when a physician helps a suffering person bring about their own death. It is commonly carried out by the physician prescribing a substance that will kill the person.
In the context of the law, physician-assisted suicide is only legal in five states: Oregon, California, Vermont, Washington and Montana.
Generally, when a person seeks physician-assisted suicide, they usually have a terminal illness and are in a great deal of pain. The different states in which physician-assisted suicide is legal all have different regulations and rules for the practice. For example, the kind of medical professionals who are allowed to participate in physician-assisted suicide can vary from place to place.
In the states where physician-assisted suicide is not legal, no medical professionals can participate in the practice.