In France, almost half of deaths (48% in 2010) are preceded by a medical decision that may hasten death. But only in 1% of cases are drugs administered to deliberately end life. The large majority of decisions taken are based on the provisions of the Leonetti Act, which enables physicians, under...

According to the 2007 census, one in seven inhabitants of mainland France and Corsica lives alone. This proportion has increased steadily over the last fifty years, rising from 6% in 1962 to 14% in 2007. A larger proportion of women than men live alone. They leave the parental home earlier than...