Canada To Report Killing Over 100,000 People With Physician-Assisted Suicide

In the coming months, Canada will report killing over 100,000 people via physician-assisted suicide in 10 years.

That stunning fact shows how quickly euthanasia, once legalized, expands and creates a culture of death. Physician-assisted suicide always transforms suffering individuals, who are treasured people to be loved, into problems to solve.

Euthanasia was first legalized by the Canadian parliament in 2016. Since then, a growing number of Canadians opt to kill themselves every year.

The nation's most recent annual report (Fifth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada 2023) shows that 15,343 people were killed via euthanasia in 2023.

"The number of MAID (Medical Aid in Dying) provisions in 2023 represents an increase of 15.8% over 2022," the report states. "This represents a slowing over previous years (2019 to 2022) which had an average growth rate of approximately 31%."

The report concedes it's not yet clear whether the findings "represent a stabilization of growth rates over the long term."

Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, estimates that in 2024, around 16,500 Canadians killed themselves via physician-assisted suicide - an increase of roughly 7.5% over 2023. A staggering 5% of deaths in Canada are now attributable to euthanasia, and that number is only growing.

"It is likely there have been around 90,000 Canadian euthanasia deaths since legalization," Schadenberg approximates. Within months, that number will certainly exceed 100,000.

The popularity of assisted suicide in Canada, tragically, shows no sign of decreasing any time soon.

Canada has one of the most permissive euthanasia regimes in the world. The nation claims to have a "strict eligibility criteria" limiting euthanasia to individuals who:

Are at least 18 years old and mentally competent.

Have a grievous and irremediable medical condition.

Make a voluntary request for physician-assisted suicide.

Give informed consent to receive euthanasia.

Are eligible for health services funded by province or territory, or the federal government.

But there are at least three major problems with Canada's eligibility criteria.

First, the terms "grievous and irremediable" are largely subject to interpretation. In 2023, there were 1,049 people whose euthanasia requests were approved under "other conditions," which included diabetes, frailty, autoimmune conditions and chronic pain.

Second, just because a person has a "grievous and irremediable medical condition" doesn't mean they're at risk of death any time soon.

In fact, the nation has two "Tracks" for individuals to access physician-assisted suicide. Those who meet the criteria above and are assessed to have a natural death that is "reasonably foreseeable" can access physician-assisted suicide under "Track 1."

But individuals whose death is not "reasonably foreseeable" can still access physician-assisted suicide under "Track 2."

In 2023, 14,721 individuals were killed under Track 1, while another 622 individuals were killed under Track 2.

In practice, individuals who have minor or treatable medical conditions, like diabetes or autoimmune issues, and aren't in any immediate risk of death, can still choose to kill themselves via euthanasia.

Third, by making government-funded health insurance a requirement for euthanasia, Canada essentially endorses physician-assisted suicide as a cost-saving measure.

One report found that a man, Alan Nichols, was killed in Canada via physician-assisted suicide for a singular diagnosis: hearing loss. "Alan was basically put to death," his brother, Gary Nichols, told The Associated Press.

In another case, a Canadian doctor prompted a patient, Roger Foley, with a degenerative brain disorder, to consider euthanasia, informing him that it would cost the hospital a lot of money if he were to remain in the hospital.

Beginning March 17, 2027, Canada is also set to further expand eligibility for euthanasia to individuals suffering solely from a mental illness. Such a change in the law will make Canada's euthanasia program even more morally egregious, allowing individuals who are depressed or anxious to request assisted suicide.

Earlier this year, the Daily Citizen interviewed Schadenberg about the expansion of assisted suicide in the United States. He told us advocates of euthanasia make it appear more palatable by discussing it in soft-sounding terms (like "MAID" or "death with dignity").

"We really should identify euthanasia for what it is," he shared. "I'm opposed to killing people."

He also highlighted a bill in New York to legalize physician-assisted suicide, which is currently sitting on Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk for consideration.

Euthanasia, in principle, is always morally wrong. It is the killing of an innocent person by doctors and physicians, who are supposed to heal patients, not kill them.

Physician-assisted suicide becomes even more problematic when doctors or hospitals push euthanasia on patients for financial reasons, so suffering individuals won't become an economic burden to the hospital or society.

But euthanasia in Canada is even more egregious. The nation permits individuals with minor medical issues, who aren't likely to die naturally any time soon, to kill themselves.

As Christians, we must respond to suffering by reminding each person of their dignity and worth.

Furthermore, we should remind suffering individuals that their pain can be redeemed, thanks to Christ's sacrifice on the cross. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church" (Colossians 1:24).

Christians must accompany those experiencing suffering by sharing their burdens and pain, pointing them to Jesus Christ who is the Author of Life.

Originally published at Harbingers Daily