Terminology of Assisted Dying

Question 1

https://www.deathwithdignity.org/terminology/#euthanasia

Answer 1

Death with Dignity laws allow qualified mentally competent, terminally ill adults to request a prescription medication from their physician for the purpose of hastening their death.

Question 2

https://www.deathwithdignity.org/terminology/#euthanasia

Answer 2

Physician-assisted suicide, or PAS, is an inaccurate, inappropriate, and biased phrase which opponents often use to scare people about Death with Dignity laws.

Question 3

https://www.deathwithdignity.org/terminology/#euthanasia

Answer 3

Sometimes described as a permanent solution to a temporary problem, suicide ends a life that would otherwise continue.

Question 4

https://www.deathwithdignity.org/terminology/#euthanasia

Answer 4

By contrast, requesting and taking medication under Death with Dignity laws ends a life that is already ending and seeks to hasten the dying process.

Question 5

https://www.deathwithdignity.org/terminology/#euthanasia

Answer 5

Euthanasia refers to the act of deliberately causing the death of another person who may be suffering from an incurable disease or condition, commonly performed with a lethal injection. An injection is never involved under Death with Dignity laws, which require patients to take the medication prescribed under the law themselves.