Euthanasia cause of 1 in 20 Canada deaths

Euthanasia now accounts for almost one in 20 deaths in Canada, alarming new official statistics have shown.

Health Canada’s ‘Fifth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada, 2023’ revealed that around 4.7 per cent of deaths resulted from the practice.

Responding to the figures, Executive Director of Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Alex Schadenberg said: “Euthanasia is out of control in Canada.”

Statistics

The report showed that 15,343 people died through Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in 2023, an increase of more than 15 per cent from 2022.

Almost 50 per cent of all people seeking death by euthanasia mentioned ‘being a burden’ as a reason.

More than 622 people were killed without their deaths being deemed “reasonably foreseeable”, and around half of these cited ‘Loneliness and isolation’.

Some have expressed concerns about the potential impacts of the current legislation on broader societal beliefs regarding the value of the lives of persons with disabilities.

A group of 89 practitioners were responsible for ending the lives of 35 per cent of patients, with the report identifying “that MAID is becoming an area of focused expertise for some”.

Disabled

In instances where there was no terminal diagnosis, 58.3 per cent of those who died had some form of disability. Over a third of MAID deaths were provided to people with a disability who were also deemed to have a terminal illness. ‘Mobility’ was the most common difficulty given by disabled people asking to die.

when other people express loneliness or a loss of dignity or a desire to die, we usually respond with support or prevention – but with people with disabilities, we respond with an offer for MAID

The report recognised MAID as “a sensitive topic in the disability community” and acknowledged:  “Some have expressed concerns about the potential impacts of the current legislation on broader societal beliefs regarding the value of the lives of persons with disabilities.”

Professor Isabel Grant told CTV News: “It’s discriminatory because when other people express loneliness or a loss of dignity or a desire to die, we usually respond with support or prevention – but with people with disabilities, we respond with an offer for MAID.”

Alarming rise

Dr Rebecca Vachon, from public policy think tank Cardus, wrote: “The rise in euthanasia deaths is doubly alarming considering recent reports from Ontario’s chief coroner and others on hundreds of MAID compliance problems.”

She added: “Meanwhile, recent polling suggests that more than six in 10 Canadians are worried about ‘financially or socially vulnerable people’ considering MAID ‘because they can’t access adequate, quality care.’

“The same survey reveals that health care access can be especially difficult for Canadians with disabilities.”

UK

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill intends to allow those in England and Wales deemed to be terminally ill and with less than six months to live to receive help to kill themselves. MPs voted by 330 to 275 in favour of legalisation after a debate in November and the Bill is now at Committee Stage.

During the debate, Mother of the House Diane Abbott stated: “We can see what has happened in Canada, which introduced assisted dying in 2016 for adults with terminal illnesses. In 2021, it was extended to people with no terminal illness and the disabled. In March 2027, anyone with a serious mental health problem will also be eligible. The House should remember that no single organisation representing the disabled supports the Bill.”

Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron added: “We know that in Canada more than one in three people opting for assisted dying gave as their reason for choosing to die that they felt they were a burden on others. Honestly, I do not see how we need any further discussion to push us into the No Lobby than that clear evidence from where it is legal.”

In Scotland, Liam McArthur MSP’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is currently being examined by a committee. This happens before it can be debated by all MSPs.