Canada’s euthanasia protocol – not merely doctor assisted suicide, but specifically euthanasia – is among the most expansive in the world. The euthanasia program, called Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) was enacted in 2016 and was, at its inception, already broad: in 2021 it accounted for 3.3% of all deaths in Canada, which is over 27 people per day, and eligibility included not just those with foreseeable death but also those with disabilities – like hearing loss. Now, Parliament is gearing up to expand the eligibility further, to include those with mental illness and even minors. For context, this makes Canada more accepting to euthanasia than the German public in 1933 under the Nazi regime. Not to mention, the deeper insidious motivation for an increasing number of MAiD cases in Canada: a social welfare network so threadbare that Canadian citizens would rather die than face abject poverty on top of a shambolic healthcare system. To coin a phrase, what the hell is going on?

Alexander Raikin is a freelance writer. He writes about medical ethics, and specifically about the Canadian medical system. He’s written on Canada’s euthanasia laws for National Review, New Atlantis, the Free Beacon, and others.

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