What are assisted dying, assisted suicide and euthanasia?

Assisted dying, assisted suicide and euthanasia are all terms used to describe the practice of someone helping another person to end their life. While the concepts are often used interchangeably, there are some key differences between them.

Assisted Dying

Assisted dying typically refers to a terminally ill individual making the decision to end their life with the help of a medical professional. This may involve the prescription of medication that the individual can take themselves to bring about death.

Assisted Suicide

Assisted suicide is a similar concept to assisted dying, but may be used more broadly to describe any situation in which one person helps another person to end their life, regardless of whether they are terminally ill or not.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia is the act of ending a person’s life with their consent, typically through the administration of a lethal dose of medication by a medical professional. Euthanasia is often used in cases where the individual is suffering unbearably and unable to end their life on their own.

These practices are highly controversial and raise important ethical, moral and legal questions. The legality and availability of assisted dying, assisted suicide and euthanasia vary widely around the world.