Euthanasia: the practice of intentionally ending the life of another to eliminate pain and suffering. The practice is illegal in most countries, including the United States and Switzerland. Euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain (for citizens), and Canada (for those eligible for Canadian healthcare) under certain conditions. Colombia is one of the few countries in the world, and the only one in Latin America, to have legalized euthanasia and made it accessible to both citizens and non-citizens.
There is much confusion about the word “euthanasia” in reference to legal Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD). However, this is not always accurate. In the U.S., MAiD laws in every state but Montana require that the person ending their life must self-administer the drugs (ingest them on their own). In Switzerland medical professionals can insert an IV but the patient is required to turn the lever to start the flow of the lethal drugs. In Canada the patient has the choice of oral ingestion or injection. Almost all Canadians chosing MAiD choose injection over self-administration.
Indirect and Passive Euthanasia
Sometimes the terms “indirect” and “passive” euthanasia are used. Indirect euthanasia is when an authorized person administers a drug with the intent to relieve suffering, but the side effect, which may be foreseeable, may be death. This is often justified by the “Doctrine of Double Effect” which suggests that an action with a good primary effect can be justified even if it has a “negative” secondary effect, provided the negative effect is not intended. Passive euthanasia is intentionally not providing or stopping life-sustaining treatment.
This page updated July, 2025
Euthanasia News from Around the World
I’m 82, I’ve had enough and because I’m Dutch I can die April 21, 2025“Jonker wants to be one of a growing number of people – almost 400 in 2024 – that are granted euthanasia on these grounds, otherwise known as “an accumulation of geriatric conditions”. They represented almost 4 per cent of the 9,958 deaths from euthanasia in the Netherlands last year.” Click Here to Read the ArticleShould euthanasia be allowed for those with mental illnesses? September 16, 2024Legislators and doctors are struggling to define who should have the right to die. Milou Verhoof was a physically healthy teenager from the Netherlands when she asked to be allowed to die. For years she had struggled with borderline personality disorder, a mental illness that profoundly affected her ability to manage her emotions. In interviews with Dutch ...Euthanasia in India: An Overview July 31, 2024Euthanasia in the simplest sense involves intentionally ending a person’s life to relieve ongoing suffering such as suffering from an irrecoverable or an incurable state of being and is a complex and evolving issue in the Indian landscape. While death with dignity is not only a legal issue but simultaneously a cultural and spiritual issue ...Assisted suicide: Why South African euthanasia activist Dr. Sean Davison was arrested in the UK July 31, 2024Pippa Hudson of CapeTalk interviews Willem Landman, co-founder of Dignity South Africa. Dr. Sean Davison was detained in the United Kingdom in July of 2024 on charges of assisting suicide.UK mother admits ending life of terminally ill son 41 years ago July 3, 2024A mother has admitted giving her terminally ill seven-year-old son a large dose of morphine to stop his suffering and “quietly end his life”. Antonya Cooper, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, said her son Hamish had stage 4 cancer and was in “a lot of pain” before his death in 1981. Now facing a terminal diagnosis herself, ...Dying together: Why a happily married couple decided to stop living June 30, 2024In the Netherlands, this is known as duo-euthanasia. It’s legal, and it’s rare – but every year, more Dutch couples choose to end their lives this way. Jan and Els were married for almost five decades. In early June, they died together after being given lethal medication by two doctors. Read more about Jan and Els ...Canadian Medical Assistance in Dying: Dr Ellen Wiebe January 22, 2020A Friends at the End talk by Dr Ellen Wiebe, a Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) provider from Canada. Dr. Wiebe talks about the criteria for physician aid in dying in Canada and tells us about some of her patients, including some patients with dementia. At 18:00 she notes that Canadian law gives the patient ...Dutch doctor acquitted in landmark euthanasia case September 11, 2019The issue of advance directives for dementia is a hot topic in the right to die field. In the US there is little legal guidance on this issue. Ethicists argue whether it is ethical to honor these documents once a person has lost legal capacity. Some say the person that signed them – the “then-self” ...Canadian with bone cancer chooses assisted dying January 22, 2019This video features Dr. Stefanie Green, co-founder and current President of the Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers (CAMAP). Stefanie is medical advisor to the BC Ministry of Health medical aid in dying oversight committee and moderator of CAMAP’s national online forum. She is clinical faculty at UBC and UVic.Die Like a Dog May 15, 2018By Joseph Pierre, Psychiatrist – in Aeon May 15, 2018 “Indeed, the American Veterinary Medical Association Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals (2013) acknowledges that ‘there is no consensus on when it is appropriate to let animal from ...24 and Ready to Die November 10, 2015An Economist film Emily is 24 years old, physically healthy and lives in Belgium, where euthanasia is legal, even for children.A Personal Tribute to Jack Kevorkian June 11, 2011by Faye Girsh, President Hemlock Society of San Diego Love him or hate him, Jack Kevorkian was the face of the right-to-die movement for almost a decade. As he forced people to confront the struggle of suffering people seeking a peaceful death, he brought the issue to breakfast tables for discussion all over the world. ...Active Euthanasia And The Colombian Constitutional Court July 1, 2001The Colombian Constitution provides a solid basis for decriminalizing merciful homicide, when a person who is undergoing intense suffering caused by an incurable illness, requests that it be put to an end, which implies causing death. I will briefly refer to the most important ones. 1. Article 1 of the Constitution establishes that the Republic of ...