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What are euthanasia and assisted suicide?
A history of euthanasia & assisted suicide worldwide.
Advocacy and information groups.
Euthanasia in Canada
It is our most vulnerable who are most at risk from Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide.
In June 2016, the government of Canada passed Bill C-14, which legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide. This was in response to a Supreme Court decision from the previous year.
In March 2021, the government of Canada expanded euthanasia and assisted suicide from patients with a reasonably foreseeable death to anyone over 18 years of age with an incurable illness, disease or disability, regardless of whether or not their death is reasonably foreseeable.
Who is Eligible?
Canadians who are at least 18 years of age and who have a grievous and irremediable medical condition. Those requesting assisted suicide/euthanasia must be mentally competent, make an un-coerced request, and give informed consent (which includes having been informed about available treatment and palliative care).
More Info - Government of Canada: Medical aid in dying
Who is At Risk?
The law specifies that people requesting assisted suicide/euthanasia must make their request free from any outside pressure or influence. However, it is unclear how doctors will be able to ensure that coercion is not a factor in the patient’s decision.
In Belgium, where euthanasia is legal, over a thousand people were killed without their consent through euthanasia in 2013 alone. In the Netherlands, more than 500 people each year are killed without their consent.
More Info - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition: "Elder Abuse - a very real concern"
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition: Belgian deaths hastened without request
Video: Safeguards are an Illusion
The Impact in Canada
Since the legalization of euthanasia & assisted suicide, Health Canada has released three interim reports and two annual reports with details on the number of deaths from euthanasia & assisted suicide and other pertinent information.
1st Interim Report (June 17 - Dec. 31, 2016)
2nd Interim Report (Jan. 1 - June 30, 2017)
3rd Interim Report (July 1 - Dec. 31, 2017)
1st Annual Report (2019)
2nd Annual Report (2020)