[Does morphine have a life-shortening effect?].

Morphine is a standard medication in pain therapy; opioids are grouped in step two and three of the WHO analgesic ladder. In palliative medicine, morphine is the preferred drug and is used for alleviating pain and reducing anxiety. When dosed correctly, a life-shortening effect can be definitely excluded today. Hence, the administration of morphine at the end of life cannot be called assisted suicide from a legal standpoint.