| Legal | Illegal | ||
| Doctor-assisted suicide, general terms | 40% | 48% | |
| Doctor-assisted suicide, Oregon specifics | 46% | 48% |
Groups
One change is among women. Just 34 percent of women support the general proposition of doctor-assisted suicide; given the Oregon system this rises to 44 percent. The shift is even bigger among Republicans, who oppose the general proposition by 61-28 percent, but the Oregon system by a closer 52-41 percent.
Doctor-assisted suicide garners most support in the West – the only region where majorities favor the idea. The general proposition is backed by 53-36 percent in the West; the Oregon law, by 59-34 percent.
And there’s an age gap: This poll finds support for doctor-assisted suicide lowest among older Americans, those age 65 and up. One reason may be that older adults are more apt to be religious – and religiosity plays a strong role in these views.
Religion
Opposition to doctor-assisted suicide in general terms is strongest among Catholics, Christian women and evangelical Christians. The Oregon system engenders a little more support from the first two groups – but not from evangelical Christians, who remain very broadly opposed.
Non-evangelical Christians are more flexible: They oppose doctor-assisted suicide in general by a 15-point margin, but actually support the Oregon system, 53-39 percent. A bit under half of Christians in this survey, 45 percent identified themselves as born-again or evangelical Christians.
Methodology
This ABC News/Beliefnet survey was conducted by telephone March 13-17, 2001, among a random national sample of 1,021 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.
