Opinion Polls/Surveys - Euthanasia

Euthanasia

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Last updated on: 8/17/2011 4:01:21 PM PST

Opinion Polls/Surveys

Angus Reid Public Opinion (Feb. 4-5, 2010)
Gallup Organization (June 6-11, 1947 - May 10-13, 2007)
CBS News/ New York Times (June 1990 - Jan. 20-25, 2006)
FOX News (Oct. 2005)

Pew Research Center (Mar. 2001 - July 2005)
Harris Interactive (1983 - Apr. 5-10, 2005)
ABC News (Mar. 2002)

1. Angus Reid Public Opinion (Feb. 4-5, 2010)

"Do you think people who help a person to commit suicide should be prosecuted?"

	Democrat	Republican	Independent	Total
Yes	36%	45%	32%	37%
No	37%	23%	41%	34%
Not sure	27%	32%	27%	28%

"If a parent is found guilty of assisting a terminally ill son or daughter to die, what do you think should be the appropriate punishment?"

	Democrat	Republican	Independent	Total
A mandatory sentence of life imprisonment	7%	7%	4%	6%
A prison sentence at the discretion of a judge	20%	29%	18%	21%
A fine, but no time in prison	15%	10%	12%	12%
No penalty at all	35%	27%	39%	35%
Not sure	23%	27%	27%	26%

"There are many arguments for and against legalizing euthanasia. Do you agree or disagree with each one of the following arguments?"

	Agree	Disagree	Not sure
Legalizing euthanasia would leave vulnerable people without sufficient legal protection	52%	32%	15%
Legalizing euthanasia would send the message that the lives of the sick or disabled are less valuable	44%	44%	12%
Legalizing euthanasia would establish clearer guidelines for doctors to deal with end-of-life decisions	60%	24%	16%
Legalizing euthanasia would give people who are suffering an opportunity to ease their pain	70%	19%	11%

"Next, we'd like to ask you some questions about euthanasia. Generally speaking, do you support or oppose legalizing euthanasia in the United States?"

	Democrat	Republican	Independent	Total
Strongly support	17%	9%	16%	14%
Moderately support	30%	21%	31%	28%
Moderately oppose	13%	12%	16%	14%
Strongly oppose	16%	39%	18%	23%
Not sure	24%	19%	18%	22%
Support - net	47%	30%	47%	42%
Oppose - net	29%	51%	34%	36%
Subjects: 1,001 adults Margin of Error: ± 3.1% Source: Angus Reid Public Opinion "Americans Split Over Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide," (78 KB) Feb. 10, 2010

2. Gallup Organization (June 6-11, 1947 - May 10-13, 2007)

"Moral acceptability of doctor-assisted suicide."

		Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends/ not an issue/ no opinion
May 10-13, 2007	Overall	49%	44%	7%
Partisan views	Republicans (including "leaners")	39%	54%	N/A
Partisan views	Democrats (including "leaners")	59%	36%	N/A
Churchgoers' views	Attend weekly	23%	71%	N/A
	Attend almost weekly/ monthly	45%	48%	N/A
	Seldom/ never attend	67%	24%	N/A
May 8-11, 2006*		50%	41%	8%
May 2-5, 2005*		49%	46%	5%
May 2-4, 2004*		53%	41%	6%
May 5-7, 2003*		45%	49%	6%
May 6-9, 2002*		50%	44%	6%
May 10-14, 2001*		49%	40%	11%

"When a person has a disease that cannot be cured and is living in 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?"

		Yes	No
May 10-13, 2007	Overall	56%	38%
Partisan views	Republicans (including "leaners")	49%	45%
Partisan views	Democrats (including "leaners")	62%	32%
Churchgoers' views	Attend weekly	35%	62%
	Attend almost weekly/ monthly	52%	39%
	Seldom/ never attend	73%	21%
May 8-11, 2006*		64%	31%
May 2-5, 2005*		58%	39%
May 2-4, 2004*		65%	31%
May 19-21, 2003*		62%	36%
May 6-9, 2002*		62%	34%
May 10-14, 2001*		68%	27%
Mar. 12-14, 1999*		61%	35%
June 5-7, 1998*		59%	39%
June 23-24, 1997*		57%	35%
Jan. 3-5, 1997*		58%	37%
Jul. 26-28, 1996*		52%	42%

"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 requests it?"

		Yes	No
May 10-13, 2007	Overall	71%	27%
Partisan views	Republicans (including "leaners")	64%	32%
Partisan views	Democrats (including "leaners")	77%	22%
Churchgoers' views	Attend weekly	47%	51%
	Attend almost weekly/ monthly	70%	27%
	Seldom/ never attend	84%	14%
May 8-11, 2006*		69%	27%
May 2-5, 2005*		75%	24%
May 2-4, 2004*		69%	29%
May 19-21, 2003*		72%	25%
May 6-9, 2002*		72%	26%
May 10-14, 2001*		65%	31%
July 26-28, 1996*		69%	26%
Apr. 9-10, 1996*		75%	22%
Nov. 15-18, 1990*		65%	31%
July 6-9, 1973*		53%	40%
Jan. 8-13, 1950*		36%	54%
June 6-11, 1947*		37%	54%
Subjects: 1,003 adults Margin of Error: ± 3% Source: Gallup Organization "Public Divided Over Moral Acceptability of Doctor-assisted Suicide," (96 KB) May 31, 2007 * Information collected in previous surveys by the poll's publisher and supplied for comparison; exact date, subject number and margin of error are not indicated.

3. CBS News/New York Times (June 1990 - Jan. 20-25, 2006)

"If a person has a disease that will ultimately destroy their mind or body and they want to take their own life, should a doctor be allowed to assist the person in taking their own life, or not?"

	Should be allowed	Should not be allowed	Unsure
Jan. 20-25, 2006	56%	37%	7%
July 2005*	54%	39%	7%

"Should physician-assisted suicide be allowed?"

	Yes	No
Nov. 18-21, 2004*	46%	45%
Nov. 1998*	52%	37%
Dec. 1993*	58%	36%
Mar. 1991*	53%	39%
June 1990*	53%	42%
Subjects: 1,229 adults Margin of Error: ± 3% Source: CBS News New York Times Jan. 2006 * Information collected in previous surveys by the poll's publisher and supplied for comparison; exact date, subject number and margin of error are not indicated.

4. FOX News (Oct. 2005)

"Do you favor or oppose legalizing physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients?"

Favor	Oppose	Unsure
48%	39%	13%

"Do you think states should have the right to let doctors prescribe medications that would help mentally competent, terminally ill patients end their lives?"

Yes	No	Unsure
52%	37%	11%
Subjects: 900 registered voters Margin of Error: ± 3% Source: FOX News Oct. 2005

5. Pew Research Center (Mar. 2001 - July 2005)

"In some states, it's legal to stop medical treatment that is keeping a terminally ill patient alive, or never start the treatment in the first place, if that's what the patient wants. Do you approve or disapprove of laws that let PATIENTS decide about being kept alive through medical treatment?"

Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
84%	10%	6%

"In some states, it's legal for doctors to prescribe lethal doses of drugs that a terminally ill patient could use themselves to commit suicide. Do you approve or disapprove of laws that let doctors assist patients who want to end their lives this way?"

Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
46%	45%	9%

"Do you think a person has a moral right to end his or her own life under any of the following circumstances?"

	Yes	No	Unsure
When this person has a disease that is incurable	53%	39%	8%
When this person is suffering great pain and has no hope of improvement	60%	34%	6%
When this person is an extremely heavy burden on his or her family	29%	62%	9%
When this person is ready to die because living has become a burden	33%	58%	9%

"Making it legal for doctors to give terminally ill patients the means to end their lives."

	Net favor	Strongly Favor	Favor	Net Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Oppose	Don't know
July 2005*	51%	18%	33%	40%	16%	24%	9%
July 2003*	54%	18%	36%	39%	17%	22%	7%
Mar. 2001*	53%	19%	34%	40%	18%	22%	7%

"Making it legal for doctors to assist terminally ill patients in committing suicide."

	Net favor	Strongly Favor	Favor	Net Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Oppose	Don't know
July 2005*	44%	12%	32%	48%	21%	27%	8%
July 2003*	43%	14%	29%	48%	24%	24%	8%
Margin of Error: ± 4% Source: Pew Research Center July 2005 * Information collected in previous surveys by the poll's publisher and supplied for comparison; exact date, subject number and margin of error are not indicated.

6. Harris Interactive (1983 - Apr. 5-10, 2005)

"Do you think that the law should allow doctors to comply with the wishes of a dying patient in severe distress who asks to have his or her life ended, or not?"

	Yes, should allow	No, should not allow	Not sure
Apr. 5-10, 2005	70%	29%	1%
Dec. 2001*	65%	29%	6%
1997*	68%	27%	4%
1993*	73%	24%	3%
1987*	62%	32%	4%
1983*	53%	34%	8%
Subjects: 1,010 adults Margin of Error: ± 3% Source: Harris Interactive Apr. 2005 * Information collected in previous surveys by the poll's publisher and supplied for comparison; exact date, subject number and margin of error are not indicated.

7. ABC News (Mar. 2002)

"Do you think it should be legal or illegal for doctors to help terminally ill patients commit suicide by giving them a prescription for fatal drugs?"

Legal	Illegal						No opinion
40%	48%						12%

"Imagine a law that would make it legal for doctors to help terminally ill patients commit suicide by giving them a prescription for fatal drugs. To be eligible, patients would have to be diagnosed as having less than six months to live, get a second opinion from another doctor, and ask for the drugs three times. And, there would be a 15-day waiting period before the prescription could be filled.

Under this system, do you think it should be legal or illegal for doctors to help terminally ill patients commit suicide by giving them a prescription for fatal drugs?"

Legal	Illegal	No opinion
46%	48%	6%
Subjects: 1,021 adults Margin of Error: ± 3% Source: ABC News Mar. 2002