FAQs
Navigating the terminology and legalities of end of life care can be complex.
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faqs
Common questions about assisted dying.
Explore essential information about the World Federation of Right to Die Societies, including key definitions, global statistics, and answers to common questions about assisted dying and end of life advocacy.
When was the Federation Founded?
The World Federation was founded in 1980. However, there was an inaugural meeting in Tokyo Japan in 1977. It has grown to now represent 63 societies across the world.
What is Legal assisted dying?
In those jurisdictions where it is legal, assisted dying is an end of life choice for people who meet the eligibility criteria established by the law in their jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction requires the request to be voluntary.
When is someone competent?
Competence is the ability of an individual to be responsible for his or her own decisions in a specific matter. Decisional capacity is a form of competence. This is the ability of an individual to make a rational choice in his or her own best interest. Someone can be competent on a specific matter, while being incompetent on another matter.
What is informed consent?
Informed consent is the term for the permission given by a patient to a physician to conduct a medical procedure, after the patient is made fully aware of the facts, implications and consequences of the procedure.
What is the slippery slope argument?
Used by opponents to assisted dying, the argument is that assissted dying laws inevitably move in scope once passed. The World Federation would argue strongly that this is not the case. Where any law has been amended, it has done so with the agreement and consideration of the politicians of that jurisdiction, with the experience of actual lived experience of legislation.
What is Assisted dying (AD)?
Assisted dying is the term used by The World Federation of Right to Die Societies to describe procedures to end life for a person who is suffering. Assisted dying includes the provision of medication to a person for self-administration as well as administration of medication by a health practitioner, in both cases causing death.
What is End of Life care?
End of Life care is the term used by WFRtDS to describe the support and care provided at the end of life. End of Life care includes palliative care (caring for a dying person), respecting the wish to refuse medical treatment (the person dies from the disease) and assisted dying.
What is advance care planning?
Advance care planning is a process aimed at extending the rights of competent adults to guide their medical care through periods of decisional incapacity. The process, when accomplished comprehensively, involves three steps:(1) thinking through one’s values and preferences, (2) talking about one’s values and preferences with others, and (3) documenting them.
Will AD result in a duty by medical professionals to assist in death?
Some ethicists have argued that what will begin as a right of patients to request an assisted death from their physicians under specified conditions will eventually become a duty. Autonomy works for both patients and medical professionals. Medical professionals should never be required to assist in dying, just as they are not required to perform other procedures they are morally opposed to.
Assisted dying vs suicide
The Federation believes that the mental and physical health consequences of being denied a peaceful and controlled death can have devastating consequences not just for the person attempting suicide, but for those who love and care for that person.
There is well documented global evidence that confirms that when there is no hope of medical assistance to die, people take matters into their own hands and kill themselves in the most horrific circumstances. Worse still, for those who do not die, they have to live with the consequences of a ‘failed suicide’ as well as potentially adding to their physical or mental pain.
Statistical data from all jurisdictions that have some form or legislation in place clearly show that the number of people who complete an assisted death is lower than the total number who make an application.
The Federation strongly believes that availability of an ‘assisted death’ often cited as a reason that people continue to live, knowing that they have the option of assistance should they require it, is a major tool in worldwide suicide prevention.
Research from Dignitas – to live with dignity – to die with dignity on suicide attempt prevention.
Glossary
Terminology used around the world.
Globally, there are a range of terms used to describe the act of assisting someone to die with dignity. At its conference in Toronto, Canada in 2022, the World Federation adopted the term assisted dying (AD) as a global term for assistance. Throughout our website you will see the term voluntary assisted dying and medical assisted dying.
Voluntary Assisted Dying – covers any situation where an individual initiates and completes the act to end their own life by themself.
Medical Assisted Dying – covers any situation where an individual has their life ended by the direct intervention of a health care professional as recognised by their jurisdiction.
This glossary is intended to help readers understand terminology that is used around the world, often other terms come about because of translation issues to English, and other times it is simply the fact that terms which hold significant meaning in one language, do not hold the same significance in others.
Assisted Suicide
The term used to describe the distribution of a drug that can cause the death of a person. The term is used in much of central and southern Europe.
Voluntary Assisted Dying
The term used in Australia, New Zealand. Both jurisdictions allow for both physician assisted and self administered medication
Death with Dignity
The term commonly used in the USA.
Read more about the term here.
Assisted Dying
A term used in the UK to describe the act of allowing someone at the end of their life the right to access an assisted death.
Euthanasia
The ending of life by someone else, on the explicit request of the person involved.
The term is used commonly in non-English speaking countries, in Europe and South America
Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD)
The term commonly used in the USA, particularly when referencing legislative action. All laws that have passed in the USA only allow assisted dying
Read more about the term here.
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)
The term used in Canada. Unlike the USA, Canadian MAiD allows both physician assisted and assisted dying.
Read more about Canada here.
Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS)
A term previously used in the USA. However, this is an outdated term, and is most often cited by opponents wishing to (wrongly) associate voluntary, considered assisted dying with involuntary suicide.
Voluntary euthanasia (VE)
An expression that was previously used to express voluntary assisted dying but has largely been overtaken by the more modern language of assisted dying.
Advance Directive
Written legal documents by which a patient expresses his wishes concerning the kind of care he wants to receive in the event he becomes unable to make his own treatment decisions.
Autonomy
A concept to describe the capacity of an individual to make independent choices.
CPR
CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a set of specific medical procedures designed to establish circulation and breathing in a patient who’s suffered an arrest of both. CPR is a supportive therapy, designed to maintain perfusion to vital organs while attempts are made to restore spontaneous breathing and cardiac rhythm.
DNR
DNR, do not resuscitate, is placed on a patient’s medical chart to indicate there should be no attempt to restart a failed heartbeat or restore breathing by any means such as by using CPR (see CPR), a ventilator, electrical stimulation, or use of medications for this purpose. A DNR order can be changed and experts say it should be reviewed regularly.
Futility
A term used in medical care to describe medical interventions that will have little effect on outcome or prognosis.
Palliative sedation
The practice of relieving distress in a terminally ill person in the last hours or days of a dying patient’s life. The objective is to control pain and discomfort, not to shorten the patient’s life.
Prohibition of treatment
A (written) statement advising health professionals that no exceptional measures should be used to attempt to save a person’s life.
VSED
VSED ( voluntary stopping of eating and drinking) is a well understood option used by many people world wide to allow them to die with some dignity at a time of their choosing. VSED is particularly used in countries where no assisted dying legislation exists.
POLST
Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment, often called portable medical orders are a common document in the USA which spells out a patients wishes in treatment, especially when they want to avoid what they see as burdensome or futile treatment interventions
Our members societies work worldwide to raise awareness of voluntary assisted dying
Around 350 million people around the world are fortunate in having some form of right to die legislation to call upon if their personal situation requires it.
However, the fight continues to extend that right to everyone else. With more than 30 years of reliable data available which underlines the safety and efficacy of voluntary assisted dying, the Federation works with local organisations to support activists, educate parliamentarians and provide expert knowledge wherever it is needed.
France
ADMD France, Le Choix and AAVIVRE; our French societies all working hard have helped secure a new law in France
Australia
DWD Victoria launched a successful Young Ambassadors program in 2024, now being rolled out worldwide.
Brazil
The Federation welcomed Eu Decido in 2025, fighting for end of life rights for South America’s largest country.
Italy
With continued direct action and campaigning, Associazone Luca Coscioni has expanded the rights to an assisted death in Regions of Italy
latest news
The latest news from our members and from around the world
Our members produce helpful factsheets and newsletters. The Federation is always happy to share other sources of information in favour of our joint mission to advance assisted dying around the world.
