Summary
Euthanasia accounted for 4.7% of deaths in Canada in 2023, with 15,300 people opting for assisted dying—a 16% increase, though slower than prior years.
Most recipients had terminal illnesses, primarily cancer, and 96% were white, sparking questions about disparities.
Quebec, at 37% of cases, remains Canada’s euthanasia hotspot.
Since legalizing assisted dying in 2016, Canada has expanded access, now covering chronic conditions and planning to include mental illnesses by 2027.
Critics, citing rapid growth and controversial cases, warn of insufficient safeguards, while proponents highlight strict eligibility criteria. Debate continues globally.
For reference, I’m not trying to change your mind so much as defend my position on the matter.
To me, that’s a lot of unknowns. And depending on the level of pain, physical and/or emotional, asking me to “stick it out” for a few years is a BIG ask with no guarantee at the end of it, and I would be suffering all the while. Think of it like how some people refuse chemo when diagnosed with cancer. It’s a grueling process with no guarantee at the end. Some opt to not go through that preferring to make the best of the time they have left untreated.
The only one who can really know if it’s worth it is the person. While it’s definitely something that affects more than them (family, friends, etc), those issues, IMO, are “family meeting” issues that should be left to those affected and not the law.
Edit: On a personal note, I think I would much prefer having the option of one last adventure and then a painless, planned ending (everything wrapped up, no burdens for my family, etc) than the thought of wasting away, forgotten, in a nursing home.