Report: Canadians With Nonterminal Issues Undergoing Assisted Suicide
A panel of experts has found that several people in Ontario, Canada, requested to be euthanized under the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program despite not having a terminal or 'incurable' illness....
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Facts
- A panel of experts has found that several people in Ontario, Canada, requested to be euthanized under the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program despite not having a terminal or 'incurable' illness.[1][2]
- The review, released by Ontario's chief coroner, follows an Associated Press report that uncovered several such cases, including a homeless man refusing long-term care, a woman with severe obesity, and grieving widows.[2][3]
- The homeless man in his 40s, for whom a psychiatrist recommended MAID, was described as being 'socially vulnerable and isolated.' He also had a history of mental illness and substance abuse and suffered from bowel disease.[1]
- The current law requires patients to be at least 18 years old, have 'decision-making capacity,' give 'informed consent' without 'external pressure,' and suffer from 'a serious and incurable illness, disease or disability,' not including mental illness.[4]
- The government has also sought to expand access to MAID for those 'suffering solely from a mental illness,' though that is not scheduled to take effect until March 17, 2027.[4]
- MAID was first legalized in 2016 for those with terminal illnesses and was expanded in 2021 to include incurable diseases. While most cases involve a doctor or nurse injecting patients with lethal drugs, some have also been prescribed medications to do it themselves.[2]
Sources: [1]Guardian, [2]PBS NewsHour, [3]Associated Press and [4]Justice.
Narratives
- Progressive narrative, as provided by Youtube and New York Times. The Canadian government has not yet signed off on euthanasia for non-physically terminal illnesses, which is why such investigations are being conducted and dealt with. However, while even the most ardent supporters of MAID don't want it to be too broad, the pain of mental distress — which can be as acute and sometimes as incurable as physical conditions — must not be dismissed. There needs to be a rigorous system put in place to consider such cases.
- Conservative narrative, as provided by Nationalpost and Youtube. MAID is an alarming health policy that completely disregards the intrinsic value of human life. Not only are impressionable people being brainwashed to believe their lives aren't worth living, but the way patients are killed also raises ethical concerns, with some hypothesizing that the overdose of anesthetic — given after muscle relaxants — could unknowingly lead to the drowning of the lungs. This would be barbaric, not compassionate, and warrants further investigation.
