In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of states considering death with dignity laws. Sometimes called "medical aid in dying," "assisted suicide," or "right to die" initiatives, these laws make it possible for terminally ill patients to use prescribed medication to end their lives peacefully rather than suffering a painful and protracted death.
The catalyst for greater national attention to this issue was 29-year-old Brittany Maynard, a woman diagnosed with terminal brain cancer who moved from California to Oregon to end her life in 2014. Maynard chose Oregon because California had not yet passed its aid-in-dying law, and Oregon is one of just a few other states to allow terminally ill patients to legally end their lives.
In 2008, Washington became the second state to adopt a Death With Dignity Act (DWDA), after Oregon. Washington voters approved the law in that year's general election, and it took effect in 2009. In 2022, the latest year for which statistics are available, 452 people received prescriptions under the act and 363 used them to die. (For additional statistics, see the 2022 Death With Dignity Act Report published by the Washington State Department of Health.)
This article first clarifies some confusing language related to death with dignity laws and then sets out the requirements for obtaining a prescription for life-ending medication under Washington's law.
"Death with dignity" and "medical aid in dying" are two of the most commonly accepted phrases describing the process by which a terminally ill person ingests prescribed medication to hasten death. Many people still think of this process as "assisted suicide" or "physician assisted suicide." However, proponents of death with dignity argue that the term "suicide" doesn't apply to terminally ill people who would prefer to live but, facing certain death within months, choose a more gentle way of dying. In fact, Washington's Death With Dignity Act specifically states that terminating one's life under the law is not suicide. (Wash. Rev. Code § 70.245.180 (2024).)
Increasingly, health organizations are turning away from the term "suicide" to describe a terminally ill patient's choice to reduce the suffering of an inevitable death. The phrase "aid in dying" is becoming a more accepted way to refer to this process.
You may also see the phrase "right to die" used in place of "death with dignity" or "medical aid in dying." However, "right to die" is more accurately used in the context of directing one's own medical care—that is, refusing life-sustaining treatment such as a respirator or feeding tubes when permanently unconscious or close to death. You can provide your own health care directions by completing a Washington living will (health care directive) and durable power of attorney for health care. (See the end of this article for more information.)
Medical providers and patients must comply with certain legal requirements before a patient can receive a prescription for aid-in-dying medication under Washington's Death With Dignity Act.
To request a prescription for life-ending medication in Washington, the patient must be:
A patient who meets the requirements above will be prescribed aid-in-dying medication only if:
To use the medication, the patient must be able to take it on their own. A doctor or other person who administers lethal medication could face criminal charges.
To read Washington's Death With Dignity Act, see Revised Code of Washington §§ 70.245.010 and following.
For more details about Washington's Death With Dignity Act, see the extensive list of Frequently Asked Questions and other Death With Dignity Act Resources on the website of the Washington State Department of Health.
To find out more about the history and current status of death with dignity laws in the United States, visit the website of the Death With Dignity National Center.
For information about appointing a health care agent and making known your own wishes for medical care at the end of life, see the Living Wills & Medical Powers of Attorney section of Nolo.com.
Updated March 1, 2024
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