Proponents of assisted suicide think that being able to plan their own deaths helps people with unmitigatable suffering or high near-term chances of death regain control (or at least the feeling of control) over their lives. Proponents also think that planned deaths can help improve quality of life by avoiding unnecessary suffering by the person committing suicide and by her loved ones. Opponents of assisted suicide think that it stigmatizes disability, and legitimizes death as a solution to problems. Opponents are also concerned that allowing assisted suicide creates more opportunities for people to pressure themselves or others into suicides for reasons the opponents think are illegitimate.
Morally speaking, under what situations is it permissible, or even right, to commit suicide? For which of those situations is it permissible to help another commit suicide? Given that, what should be done, both personally and through government policy, in order to make sure that permissible suicides are allowed, and that other suicides are prevented?