{"id":376741,"date":"2016-03-31T21:37:00","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/utah-law\/utah-euthanasia-laws.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T19:50:47","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T00:50:47","slug":"utah-euthanasia-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/utah-law\/utah-euthanasia-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Utah Euthanasia Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Utah Euthanasia Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Maybe you\u2019ve heard one of the recent news stories concerning the \u201cright to die.\u201d Or maybe a loved one has had a debilitating, painful, and terminal illness. And you may have been wondering what the law is surrounding so-called \u201cmercy killings.\u201d Killing or allowing the death of a hopelessly sick or injured person is known legally as \u201ceuthanasia.\u201d The majority of states ban it entirely, although their particular statutes can vary on the details. This is an introduction to euthanasia laws in Utah.<\/p>\n

Euthanasia Laws<\/h2>\n

Along with abortion and gun control, euthanasia remains one of the most hotly contested legal, social, and political issues in the country. Also referred to as \u201cphysician-assisted suicide,\u201d euthanasia<\/a> is illegal to some extent in just about every state. Utah law prohibits deliberate mercy killings, however doctors are permitted to withhold or withdraw "life-sustaining" measures in some circumstances.<\/p>\n

Euthanasia Statutes in Utah<\/h2>\n

The table below lists Utah\u2019s euthanasia statutes.<\/p>\n\n

Code Section<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Utah Code 75-2a-122<\/a>: Advance Health Care Directive Act<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>

Euthanasia Condoned in Statutes?<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Euthanasia, mercy killing, or suicide is not condoned or authorized by Utah law.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>

Effect of Withholding of Life-Sustaining Procedures<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures does not constitute suicide or assisting suicide<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n

Euthanasia Law History<\/h2>\n

The United States Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the government’s interest in preserving life and preventing intentional killing outweighs a citizen\u2019s liberty interest in having the choice of when, where, and how die when it upheld a state law prohibiting euthanasia. Therefore, under federal law, there is no constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide. <\/p>\n

States are permitted to ban euthanasia, but a majority has recognized the distinction between a physician proactively ending a patient’s life, illegal in nearly every state, and passively refusing or removing life-saving medical treatment, legal in many states. A few states have gone farther and enacted laws protecting a patient’s right to die, but even then, doctors are not allowed to administer lethal doses of drugs. Doctors may only provide certain drugs at their patients\u2019 request, and the patients themselves must self-administer the doses.<\/p>\n

Related Resources for Utah Euthanasia Laws<\/h2>\n

The issues surrounding the right to die debate remain hotly contested, and state law on the matter is subject to change. If you would like legal assistance regarding a terminal health care matter, you can consult with a Utah health care attorney<\/a>. You can also find additional articles and information by visiting FindLaw’s section on Patient Rights<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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