Anne E. Fade

Anne E. Fade is the associate executive director of legal services at Choice In Dying, a right-to-die organization in New York. In the following viewpoint, she argues that because dying patients naturally eat and drink less, and because tube feeding can cause discomfort, nutritional life support should be withheld from the terminally ill unless they specifically request it. Though it is natural for the families of dying patients to want to provide food and water to comfort the dying, Fade contends, often such treatment does more harm than good. She asserts that it is both morally and legally permissible to withdraw such life support.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What side effects and risks of tube feeding does Fade describe"
2. According to Robert...