Most Americans Favor Legal Euthanasia

August 9, 2024

aerial view of a crowd of people

(Gallup) – Smaller majority support doctor-assisted suicide, slim majority say it is moral

Americans’ current views on the legality of euthanasia, a procedure in which a physician intentionally acts to end the life of a patient, are similar to what they have been during the past decade. Just over seven in 10 Americans, 71%, believe doctors should be “allowed by law to end the patient’s life by some painless means if the patient and his or her family request it.”

At the same time, doctor-assisted suicide — a term used to describe patients ending their own lives with the aid of a physician — garners slightly less but still majority support. (Read More)