- Rasmussen Reports (Oct. 12-13, 2015)
- Gallup News Service (May 8-11, 2007 – May 6-10, 2015)
- 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)
“California is now the latest state to allow voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide for those who are terminally ill. Do you favor or oppose the practice of voluntary euthanasia?”
| Favor | Oppose | Undecided | |||
| Oct. 12-13, 2015 | 52% | 30% | 17% | ||
Subjects: 1,000 adults
Margin of Error: ± 3%
Source: Rasmussen Reports, “Americans Are Still Supportive of Assisted Suicide,” www.rasmussenreports.com, Oct. 15, 2015
“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 or her family request it?”
| Yes | No | Not Sure | |||
| May 6-10, 2015 | 70% | 27% | 3% | ||
| May 8-11, 2014 | 69% | 27% | 4% | ||
| May 2-7, 2013 | 70% | 27% | 3% | ||
| May 3-6 2012 | 64% | 33% | 3% | ||
| May 5-8, 2011 | 67% | 28% | 5% | ||
| May 3-6, 2010 | 66% | 29% | 5% | ||
| May 8-11, 2008 | 68% | 30% | 2% | ||
“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?”
| Should | Should Not | No Opinion | |
| May 6-10, 2015 | 68% | 28% | 4% |
| May 8-11, 2014 | 58% | 39% | 3% |
| May 2-7, 2013 | 51% | 45% | 4% |
| May 3-6 2012 | 53% | 42% | 5% |
| May 5-8, 2011 | 53% | 43% | 4% |
| May 3-6, 2010 | 53% | 42% | 5% |
| May 8-11, 2008 | 62% | 34% | 5% |
“Next, I’m going to read you a list of issues. Regardless of whether or not you think it should be legal, for each one, please tell me whether you personally believe that in general it is morally acceptable or morally wrong. How about doctor assisted suicide?”
| Morally acceptable | Morally wrong | Depends on the situation | Not a moral issue | No opinion | |
| May 6-10, 2015 | 56% | 37% | 4% | — | 2% |
| May 8-11, 2014 | 52% | 43% | 3% | — | 1% |
| May 2-7, 2013 | 45% | 49% | 4% | — | 1% |
| May 3-6 2012 | 45% | 48% | 4% | — | 3% |
| May 5-8, 2011 | 45% | 48% | 5% | — | 2% |
| May 3-6, 2010 | 46% | 46% | 6% | — | 2% |
| May 8-11, 2008 | 51% | 44% | 3% | — | 1% |
Subjects: 527 adults
Margin of Error: ± 5%
Source: Gallup Organization “In U.S., Support for Doctor-Assisted Suicide,” May 27, 2015
* 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.
“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,” 
Feb. 10, 2010
“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 |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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,” 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.
“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.
“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
“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.
“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.
“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
