Alain Cocq Livestreams VSED Death to Protest French Prohibition of MAID

57-year-old Dijon resident Alain Cocq sought to hasten his death through medical aid in dying (MAID). But even a direct request to President Macron was unsuccessful.

So, starting today (Saturday, September 4), Cocq stopped intake of all food and fluids. "I know that the days ahead are going to be difficult but I have made my decision and I am calm." Cocq is live-streaming on his Facebook page. 

While it is not Cocq's first choice, voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) is a widely accepted and comfortable way to hasten death. I have collected court cases and patient stories on VSED. We have a book-length analysis of clinical, ethical, legal, and institutional issues forthcoming from Oxford University Press. We have a free webinar on VSED coming up on October 8, 2020.