The New York state Assembly recently passed the controversial 'Medical Aid in Dying Act', enabling physicians to assist terminally ill patients in ending their lives. Proponents argue that this act provides a dignified option for those in significant pain. However, critics assert that such measures devalue life and present a slippery slope exemplified by Canada’s experience where eligibility expanded to non-terminal cases, resulting in a sharp rise in assisted deaths, particularly among vulnerable demographics. The debate continues over the ethical considerations of such legislation and its potential consequences for society.
From 1998 to 2020, more than 5,300 Americans died by assisted suicide in Oregon, Washington, DC and Hawaii, three places where it was then legal.
When Canada first legalized assisted death in 2016, it was strictly limited to the terminally ill - but that wasn't enough for the suicide advocates, who sued to stretch the rules.
Today, Canadians can request MAiD even when 'death is not reasonably foreseeable' - and nearly 50% of those requests come from the poor and the vulnerable.
In 2022, the number of assisted suicides in Canada rose to more than 13,000.
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