If a young man suffering from a debilitating, incurable disease
asks his doctor or a loved one to help him end his life, the doctor
or loved one would likely go to jail for complying with his wishes.
If that same young man takes his own life, it wouldn't be criminal
in several states. Although illegal, Americans would find the first
choice more morally acceptable than the second, legal activity.
And, when asked, most Americans would support a law making his
first choice legal. Legal issues and moral issues sometimes walk a
blurred line.
Morality
In early May, Gallup asked Americans about the moral
acceptability of several issues, including doctor-assisted
suicide and suicide. In the May 5-7 poll*, Gallup asked whether
doctor-assisted suicide is morally acceptable or morally wrong.
Americans were somewhat divided, with 45% saying it is morally
acceptable and 49% saying it is morally wrong. The difference in
perceived moral acceptability of suicide per se was far more
lopsided: 14% of Americans found it morally acceptable, and 81%
found it morally wrong.
In an absolute sense, suicide, whether doctor-assisted or not,
always involves the choice to end one's life. In many religious
circles, it is therefore always an immoral choice if not an
outright sin. But in publicized doctor-assisted suicides such as
the Dr. Jack Kevorkian cases, the patient usually suffers from a
debilitating disease and seeks to "die with dignity" using
physician assistance. This type of death may be seen as merciful,
and physician involvement implies some measure of propriety.
In looking at opinions on these two issues, those who identify
themselves as conservatives are substantially less likely than
either moderates or liberals to believe that doctor-assisted
suicide is morally acceptable. Only 36% of conservatives find it
morally acceptable, compared with 49% of moderates and 61% of
liberals. Those who attend church on a weekly basis are
considerably less likely to find doctor-assisted suicide morally
acceptable than those who attend less often are.
Differences on the issue of suicide are slimmer between
conservatives and moderates, and between those who attend church
weekly or almost weekly. Liberals and those who seldom or never
attend church are the most likely to find suicide morally
acceptable.
Legality
In late May**, Gallup asked Americans one of two versions of a
question about the legality of doctor-assisted suicide. The
questions were similar, but each applied somewhat different
conditions to the situation.
The first question asked, "When a person has a disease that
cannot be cured, do you think doctors should be allowed by law to
end the patient's life by some painless means if the patient and
his family request it?" Seventy-two percent of Americans said yes
and 25% said no.
Gallup also asked respondents, "When a person has a disease that
cannot be cured and is living with severe pain, do you think
doctors should or should not be allowed by law to assist the
patient to commit suicide if the patient requests it?" With this
wording, the percentage saying yes slips somewhat, even though this
question explicitly mentions that the patient is living with severe
pain. Sixty-two percent of Americans said it should be allowed, and
36% said it should not. The drop in support is most likely due to
using the phrase "to commit suicide" as opposed to the more benign
"end the patient's life by some painless means" in the first
question.
Bottom Line
Although a majority of Americans consider suicide itself morally
wrong, the public shows broad support for euthanizing terminal
patients. However, the term "doctor assisted suicide" is one that
carries somewhat negative connotations for a substantial number of
Americans, and thus the public is divided when asked about its
moral acceptability.
*Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,005 national
adults, aged 18 and older, conducted May 5-7, 2003. For results
based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95%
confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3%.
**Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,014 national
adults, aged 18 and older, conducted May 19-21, 2003. For results
based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95%
confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3%.
For results based on the 505 national adults in the Form A
half-sample and 509 national adults in the Form B half-sample, the
maximum margins of sampling error are ±5%.
