Vermont legalizes assisted suicide for terminally ill patients.
Vermont has become the first state in the US to officially approve 'suicide tourism' by allowing terminally ill patients from anywhere in the country to seek end-of-life medicine in Vermont, even if the practice is banned in their home state. Nine other states and the District of Columbia allow assisted suicide, and seven states are considering their own Medical Aid-in-Dying laws this session. Critics are concerned about the lack of safeguards to protect people with disabilities, who may be steered toward end-of-life care. Major opponents of assisted suicide include the Catholic church and anti-abortion activists.