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NJ Legislators Consider Measure That Would Allow Terminally Ill To Take Their Own Lives With Physician Help

By David Madden

HACKENSACK, NJ (CBS) -- A new poll suggests New Jersey residents support the idea of allowing the terminally ill to take their own lives, with the help of a physician.

The Fairleigh Dickinson University Public Mind Poll question comes on the heels of a second attempt in as many years to get a so called "Death with Dignity" law on the books.

Poll Director Krista Jenkins says, "51 percent believe the legislation should pass, 38 percent believe it should not pass and we have 11 percent say that they are undecided at this point.

Those numbers are close to those released in 2012, when the idea was first proposed.

This measure would allow someone with less than six months to live a chance to obtain a lethal prescription that they would administer themselves.

The latest survey also suggests 53 percent of respondents would like to have the opportunity to make that choice.

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