When should people be legally allowed to seek medical aid in dying?
Its an important question that often provokes strong emotion and fierce argument.
A common scenario might involve someone with late-stage cancer.
New research explores who is seeking medically assisted death.© Thaiview/Shutterstock
Critics have argued that, as these programs have expanded, these cases have and will become increasingly normalized.
The fears of a slippery slope effect have had a tangible impact.
The following conversation has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.
Ed Cara, Gizmodo:What was your study trying to explore?
cancer, heart disease, ALS) who receive MAID at the end of life rather than die naturally.
heart disease) were far less likely to receive MAID (<1%).
Is the overall data showing signs of that happening?
I have seen absolutely no indication that people are foregoing beneficial treatments in favor of MAID.
It is never a decision to pursue MAID rather than a life-prolonging treatment.
I am also very skeptical that people are being encouraged to die at all.
Gizmodo:Are there things that could be improved within current MAID systems?
That should not be considered a sign of success.
Gizmodo:Where do you see MAID going from here?
Downar:There are ongoing discussions about eligibility criteria in Canada, as there are in many countries.
There is no correct set of laws for every jurisdiction.
It is not simply a case of improving the availability of existing approaches.
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But it doesn’t have to be, some researchers argue.
