An Alternative to Medical Assistance in Dying? The Legal Status of Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED)

Canadian Journal of Bioethics, Volume 1, Number 2, 2018

12 Pages Posted: 5 Dec 2019

See all articles by Jocelyn Downie

Jocelyn Downie

Schulich School of Law & Faculty of Medicine

Date Written: May 30, 2018

Abstract

Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) has received considerable attention from many in the field of bioethics. Philosophers, theologians, lawyers, and clinicians of all sorts have engaged with many challenging aspects of this issue. Public debate, public policy, and the law have been enhanced by the varied disciplinary analyses. With the legalization of MAiD in Canada, some attention is now being turned to issues that have historically been overshadowed by the debate about whether to permit MAiD. One such issue is voluntary stopping eating and drinking (VSED) as an alternative to MAiD. In this paper, I will apply a legal lens to the issue. An understanding of whether VSED is legal provides a foundation for ethical reflection on whether it ought to be permitted. Is it permitted for those who prefer VSED to MAiD? Is it permitted for those who do not qualify for MAiD under our current legislation – for those who do not have a grievous and irremediable medical condition, for mature minors, for individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental disorder and who do not otherwise meet the eligibility criteria, and for individuals who have lost capacity but had completed an advance directive?

Keywords: Vsed, MAiD, Stopping Eating

Suggested Citation

Downie, Jocelyn, An Alternative to Medical Assistance in Dying? The Legal Status of Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) (May 30, 2018). Canadian Journal of Bioethics, Volume 1, Number 2, 2018, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3489352

Jocelyn Downie (Contact Author)

Schulich School of Law & Faculty of Medicine ( email )

Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4H9
Canada

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
46
Abstract Views
270
PlumX Metrics