Medical assistance in dying (MAID), often known as voluntary euthanasia, accounted for 4.7% of Canadian deaths in 2023, according to new Health Canada data.
According to Heath Canada’s fifth annual report, since the Trudeau government legalized MAID in 2016, about 15,300 persons will undergo assisted death in 2023 if their applications are granted.
The median age in this group was more than 77. The great majority, almost 96%, died from “reasonably foreseeable” causes, such as cancer.
In a tiny number of other cases, patients may not have been terminally sick but wanted assisted suicide owing to a protracted and difficult illness that had significantly reduced their quality of life.
Canada is one of a few countries that have passed assisted dying legislation in the last decade. Others include Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Austria.
In Canada, consenting adults can request medical help in dying from a healthcare physician if they have a serious and irreversible medical condition. Some constraints exist, such as requiring two independent healthcare providers to certify the patient’s eligibility before the request is authorized.
Quebec Highest in MAID Deaths
In 2023, more than 320,000 individuals died in Canada, with medical assistance accounting for 15,300 of those fatalities (or around one in every 20).
According to estimates presented by Health Canada on Wednesday, the rate of assisted dying in Canada would rise by about 16% in 2023. This figure represents a significant decrease from the average increase of 31% in prior years.
The research stated that it is too early to determine what caused the rate to slow. For the first time, the report examined race and ethnic data on persons who received MAID.
Around 96% of receivers identified as caucasian, who comprise over 70% of Canada’s population. It’s unknown what produced the difference.
The second-highest reported ethnic group was East Asians (1.8%), who comprise approximately 5.7% of Canadians.
MAID remained the most commonly used method in Quebec, accounting for roughly 37% of all euthanasia fatalities despite the province’s population being only 22% of Canada.
The Quebec government initiated a study earlier this year to investigate why its euthanasia rate was so high.
Expanded Access to MAID
In 2021, the Trudeau government expanded access to MAID for persons who do not have a terminal diagnosis but wish to terminate their lives due to a chronic, disabling ailment. Earlier this year, it was announced that access to those with mental problems would be expanded again.
However, it was postponed for the second time because Canadian provinces, which control healthcare delivery, raised concerns about the system’s ability to handle such a large expansion.
On Wednesday, Health Canada defended the procedure, citing the criminal code’s “strict eligibility” conditions.
However, Cardus, a Christian research tank, claimed the latest MAID data were “alarming” and revealed that Canada has one of the world’s fastest-growing euthanasia regimes.
A report released in October by the Ontario government offered some insight on contentious cases in which people were awarded assisted dying when they were not reaching the end of their natural lives.
One example was a woman in her fifties with a history of melancholy and suicide ideation who was extremely sensitive to chemicals.
Her plea for euthanasia was granted after she was unable to find a home that could meet her medical requirements.
Another example made headlines recently, involving a Nova Scotia cancer patient who claimed she was twice asked if she was aware of assisted dying as an option while undergoing mastectomy surgery.
According to the National Post, the question “came up in completely inappropriate places”.
Many other Canadian news sites have also covered incidents in which people with disabilities considered assisted suicide owing to a lack of housing or disability assistance.
Related News:
BC Supreme Court Stops MAID Death of Woman from Alberta
