@article{ref1,
title="Is voluntarily stopping eating and drinking a form of suicide?",
journal="Ethik in der Medizin",
year="2015",
author="Birnbacher, D.",
volume="27",
number="4",
pages="315-324",
abstract="Definition of the problem: The method of voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) has a long tradition, going back, as far as we know, to Antiquity. Recently, it has gained new interest among elderly persons who confront their death and want to retain a certain measure of control over the time and circumstances of their dying. The question arises whether VSED can or should be classified as a form of &quot;passive suicide&quot;, i.e. a suicide by intentional omission. Arguments: On the background of the WHO definition of suicide, the article argues for an affirmative answer. <br><br>CONCLUSION: In spite of this, there remain important ethical differences between VSED and &quot;classical&quot; forms of suicide. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.<p /><p>Language: de</p>",
language="de",
issn="0935-7335",
doi="10.1007/s00481-015-0337-9",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00481-015-0337-9"
}