Nearly one in 20 deaths in Canada now results from euthanasia

The rate of medical aid in dying – also known as euthanasia – has increased in Canada for the fifth consecutive year, albeit at a slower pace.

The country released its fifth annual report since legalizing assisted death in 2016, which for the first time included data on the ethnicity of those seeking euthanasia.

About 15,300 people were assisted in dying last year, accounting for 4.7% of deaths in the country. Canadian lawmakers are currently seeking to expand access to euthanasia to cover people suffering from mental illnesses by 2027.

Canada is one of the few countries to have introduced assisted dying legislation in the last decade. Others include Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Austria.

Figures released Wednesday by Health Canada show the rate of assisted deaths in Canada is projected to increase by nearly 16% in 2023. This number is a sharp decline from the average growth of 31% in previous years.

The report cautioned that it was too early to know what caused the rate decline.

Almost all of those who requested assistance in dying – approximately 96% – would have been expected to die a natural death. The remaining 4% were euthanized due to long-term chronic illness and where natural death was not imminent.

The average age of those seeking aid in dying was approximately 77 years, with cancer the most common underlying medical condition.

For the first time, the report analyzed race and ethnic data on people who died by euthanasia.

About 96% of recipients identified as white people, who make up about 70% of the Canadian population. It is not clear what causes this disparity.

The second most reported ethnic group was East Asian (1.8%), which accounts for about 5.7% of Canadians.

Quebec had the highest use rate of assisted death, accounting for approximately 37% of all euthanasia deaths, despite the province having only 22% of Canada’s population.

Quebec’s government launched a study earlier this year to investigate why its euthanasia rate is so high.

While the number of assisted deaths is increasing in Canada, the country still lags behind the Netherlands, where euthanasia accounted for about 5% of total deaths last year.

UK lawmakers voted late last month to pass a similar bill that would give terminally ill adults in England and Wales the right to an assisted death, although it will take several months of scrutiny before it becomes law. Will have to face.

As British MPs debated the legislation, some cited Canada as a warning sign due to its perceived lack of safeguards.

Like the UK, Canada initially legalized assisted dying only for those whose death was “reasonably foreseeable”.

However, Canada expanded access in 2021 to people who may not have a terminal diagnosis but wish to end their life because of a chronic, debilitating condition.

It was set out earlier this year to once again expand access to people suffering from mental illnesses.

But it was delayed for a second time after Canadian provinces that oversee health care delivery raised concerns about whether the system could withstand such an expansion.

On Wednesday, Health Canada defended the process, saying the Criminal Code sets “strict eligibility” criteria.

But Cardus, a Christian think tank, said the latest figures were “alarming” and show Canada has one of the fastest-growing euthanasia programs in the world.

A report released in October by Ontario – Canada’s most populous province – has shed some light on controversial cases where people were assisted in dying when they were no closer to their natural death.

One example involved a 50-year-old woman struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts who had severe sensitivity to chemicals.

Her request for euthanasia was granted after she failed to secure housing that could meet her medical needs.

Another case that made headlines in recent months was that of a cancer patient from Nova Scotia, who said that after she had undergone mastectomy surgery twice, she was asked if she knew about assisted dying as an option. Was.

He told the National Post that the question “came up in completely inappropriate places”.

Canadian news outlets have also reported cases where people with disabilities have considered assisted death due to a lack of housing or disability benefits.