Switzerland: legal since 1942
Assisted dying has been legal in Switzerland since 1942, making it the longest-running legal framework for the practice in the modern world.
Where this was said
The History of MAID: Hemlock Society to Kevorkian to Oregon
At 9:58 · chapter starts 9:40
This chapter provides the historical scaffolding for the rest of the episode. Dubner notes that 12 US states plus D.C. now permit some form of assisted dying, with Oregon the pioneer in 1997 [1] — Stephen Dubner "Assisted dying has been legal in Switzerland since 1942, and now 12 US states plus D.C. have followed. The American movement was slow and c…" 09:31 . The modern movement traces back to Switzerland, where it has been legal since 1942, and which is where Kahneman traveled to die. Roth then recounts the American origins: the Hemlock Society, which published a frank how-to guide called 'Let Me Die Before I Wake,' and the problem it exposed — people who stockpiled pills but couldn't swallow them when gravely ill. Enter Jack Kevorkian, 'Dr. Death,' who built machines allowing patients to self-administer lethal drugs, filmed their consent, and deliberately informed police to challenge the law. He was tried for murder multiple times before being convicted on the one case where he administered the drug himself rather than letting the patient do it. Roth notes the movement stalled after Kevorkian: the caution around distinguishing 'help in stopping living' from 'aid in dying' has made progress slow.
12 US states + DC allow assisted dying
There are now 12 US states plus the District of Columbia where some form of assisted dying is legal, with Oregon being the first in 1997.
Jack Kevorkian and the Origins of MAID in America
Jack Kevorkian built a machine to allow patients to self-administer lethal drugs, filmed their decisions, informed police, and was tried for murder multiple times before being convicted and imprisoned. His public advocacy — controversial and confrontational — planted the seed for a movement that took decades to gain legal footing.
The Guardrails in New York's MAID Law
New York's MAID law, effective August 2025, requires a terminal prognosis of 6 months or less, a mandatory mental health evaluation, an in-person physician visit, a 5-day waiting period, and a video or audio recording of the patient's request. Hochul insisted on these guardrails as the price of her signature.
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