Death With Dignity in Idaho

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of states considering medical aid in dying laws. Sometimes called "death with dignity," "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.

Idaho's Ban on Assisted Suicide

Idaho has never officially considered adopting a medical aid in dying law. The state has, in fact, taken an opposing path, declaring it a crime for a health care professional to knowingly prescribe medication intended to cause death. (See Idaho Code § 18-4017 (2025).)

Advocating for a Medical Aid in Dying Act in Idaho

If choice at the end of life is important to you, there are many things you can do to support bringing a medical aid in dying law to Idaho:

• Contact your representatives in the state legislature and encourage them to support death with dignity.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.
• Tell your family, friends, health care providers, and others why you believe terminally ill patients should be allowed to choose medical aid in dying.
• Search for—or start—a community advocacy group. The Compassion & Choices website can help you connect with others in your area.

Making a Living Will or Advance Directive

"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. You might also see the phrase "right to die" used in place of either of those terms. 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. In Idaho or any other state, you have a right to provide such directions or give any other health care instructions by completing an advance health care directive. Health care providers are required to honor your wishes or transfer you to another care provider who will do so.

For information about making known your wishes for medical care at the end of life and appointing a trusted person to ensure your instructions are carried out, see the Living Wills & Medical Powers of Attorney section of Nolo.com.

Learn More

To find out more about the history and current status of medical aid in dying laws in the United States, visit the website of the Death With Dignity National Center.