Is 'pulling the plug' the same as euthanasia?

No, it is not. Pulling the plug is a rather crude phrase for the gentler and kinder 'withdrawing care.' To put it simply, Euthanasia is synonymous to assisted suicide. read more

Pulling the plug is a rather crude phrase for the gentler and kinder ‘withdrawing care.’ To put it simply, Euthanasia is synonymous to assisted suicide. The medical staff actively administers drugs — maybe a lethal dose of certain anesthetics or analgesics — to hasten the patients’ journey toward death. read more

In contrast, in euthanasia death is certain and the cause of death is the lethal injection. Without that, the person would not die at that time from that cause. The fact that the patient dies both in refusing treatment and in euthanasia is one of the sources of the confusion between the two. read more

pulling the plug' may involve turning off life sustaining machinery. That's a form of passive euthanasia, allowed in most states with the patients prior consent, and usually allowed if the family and the doctor consents. Active euthanasia is different, it involves active measure to end a life. read more