Assisted suicide in the context of Drug prescription

Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is expected to result in the death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer, rather than fatal injury. In popular use, it indicates a disease that will progress until death with near absolute certainty, regardless of treatment. A patient who has such an illness may be referred to as a terminal patient, terminally ill or simply as being terminal. There is no standardized life expectancy for a patient to be considered terminal, although it is generally months or less. An illness which will result in premature death, even if that death may be many years away, is called a life-limiting illness. An illness which is lifelong but not life-shortening is called a chronic condition.

Terminal patients have options for disease management after diagnosis. Examples include caregiving, continued treatment, palliative and hospice care, and physician-assisted suicide. Decisions regarding management are made by the patient and their family, although medical professionals may offer recommendations of services available to terminal patients.

Active euthanasia is illegal in all 50 states of the United States. Assisted suicide is legal in twelve jurisdictions in the US: Washington, D.C. and the states of California, Colorado, Delaware, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico, Maine, New Jersey, Hawaii, Washington and Montana. The status of assisted suicide is disputed in Montana, though currently authorized per the Montana Supreme Court's ruling in Baxter v. Montana that "nothing in Montana Supreme Court precedent or Montana statutes [indicates] that physician aid in dying is against public policy."

A victimless crime is an illegal act that typically either directly involves only the perpetrator or occurs between consenting adults. Because it is consensual in nature, whether there involves a victim is a matter of debate. Definitions of victimless crimes vary in different parts of the world and different law systems, but usually include possession of any illegal contraband, recreational drug use, prostitution and prohibited sexual behavior between consenting adults, assisted suicide, and smuggling among other similar infractions.

In politics, a lobbyist or an activist might use the term victimless crime with the implication that the law in question should be abolished.

Barbiturates are a class of depressant drugs that are chemically derived from barbituric acid. They are effective when used medically as anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants, but have physical and psychological addiction potential as well as overdose potential among other possible adverse effects. They have been used recreationally for their anti-anxiety and sedative effects, and are thus controlled in most countries due to the risks associated with such use.

Barbiturates have largely been replaced by benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepines ("Z-drugs") in routine medical practice, particularly in the treatment of anxiety disorders and insomnia, because of the significantly lower risk of overdose, and the lack of an antidote for barbiturate overdose. Despite this, barbiturates are still in use for various purposes: in general anesthesia, epilepsy, treatment of acute migraines or cluster headaches, acute tension headaches, euthanasia, capital punishment, and assisted suicide.

Baxter v. Montana, is a Montana Supreme Court case, argued on September 2, 2009, and decided on December 31, 2009, that addressed the question of whether the state's constitution guaranteed terminally ill patients a right to lethal prescription medication from their physicians. The Montana Supreme Court sidestepped the question of if medical aid in dying is guaranteed under Montana State Constitution, but it instead ruled, on narrower grounds, that neither legal precedent nor the state's statute deem such assistance to be against public policy or illegal. Montana is one of ten states in which aid in dying is authorized. The others are California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington; it is authorized in the District of Columbia as well.

Euthanasia in Canada or assisted suicide first became legal in Canada in June 2016 for those whose death was reasonably foreseeable. Its legal form is termed Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD, also spelled MAID) in Canada. Before this time, it was illegal as a form of culpable homicide. In March 2021, the law was further amended by Bill C-7 to include those suffering from a grievous and irremediable condition whose death was not reasonably foreseeable. The planned inclusion of people with mental illnesses is controversial and has been repeatedly delayed. The legality of this postponement to 2027 is being challenged in court.

The intensity and breadth of Canada's MAID program has led to condemnation of its program by UN human rights experts and disability rights groups in Canada. It has also been the subject of substantial international attention and criticism. Human rights advocates have criticized Canada's euthanasia laws in a number of ways, including that it is lacking safeguards, devalues the lives of disabled people, prompts health workers and doctors to suggest euthanasia to people who would not otherwise consider it, or euthanizes people who were not receiving adequate government support to continue living. In 2024, 16,499 MAID provisions were reported in Canada, accounting for 5.1% of all deaths in Canada. There have been 76,475 MAID deaths reported in Canada since the introduction of legislation in 2016.

Laws regarding euthanasia or assisted suicide in Australia are matters for state and territory governments. As of November 2025 all states and the Australian Capital Territory have implemented schemes providing assisted suicide and euthanasia for eligible individuals. These laws typically refer to the practices as "voluntary assisted dying".

Voluntary assisted dying schemes have been in effect in the following states and territories; Victoria since 19 June 2019, Western Australia since 1 July 2021, Tasmania since 23 October 2022, Queensland since 1 January 2023, South Australia since 31 January 2023, New South Wales since 28 November 2023 and the Australian Capital Territory since 3 November 2025.

Pentobarbital (US) or pentobarbitone (British and Australian) is a short-acting barbiturate typically used as a sedative, a preanesthetic, and to control convulsions in emergencies. It can also be used for short-term treatment of insomnia but has been largely replaced by the benzodiazepine family of drugs.

In high doses, pentobarbital causes death by respiratory arrest. It is frequently used for veterinary euthanasia, and is used by some US states and the United States federal government for executions of convicted criminals by lethal injection. In some countries and states, it is also used for physician-assisted suicide.