Editing Right to die (section)

=== Netherlands ===
{{main|Euthanasia in the Netherlands}}
The [[Netherlands]] legalized [[voluntary euthanasia]] in 2002. Under Dutch law, euthanasia and assisted suicide can only be performed by doctors, and that is only legal in cases of ''"hopeless and unbearable"'' suffering. In practice, this means that it is limited to those with serious and incurable medical conditions (including [[mental illness]]) and in considerable suffering like pain, hypoxia or exhaustion. Helping somebody to die by suicide without meeting the qualifications of the Dutch euthanasia law is illegal.<ref name="Buiting-2009">{{cite journal | vauthors = Buiting H, van Delden J, Onwuteaka-Philpsen B, Rietjens J, Rurup M, van Tol D, Gevers J, van der Maas P, van der Heide A | title = Reporting of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the Netherlands: descriptive study | journal = BMC Medical Ethics | volume = 10 | pages = 18 | date = October 2009 | pmid = 19860873 | pmc = 2781018 | doi = 10.1186/1472-6939-10-18 | doi-access = free }}</ref> These criteria concern the patient's request, the patient's suffering (unbearable), the infaust prognosis (hopeless), the information provided to the patient, the absence of reasonable alternatives, consultation of another physician and the applied method of ending life.<ref name="Buiting-2009"/>