Assisted Suicide, Once Legal Inevitably Expands

Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.  (pictured right).

When a jurisdiction is debating an assisted suicide bill, many organizations and individuals present information about the necessary safeguards that the jurisdiction must implement to “safely” legalize assisted suicide.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition knows that it is not possible to “safely” legalize assisted suicide and once legal the law will inevitably expand.

Great Britain is currently debating an assisted suicide bill  sponsored by Kim Leadbeater. Many states have already introduced assisted suicide bills in 2025 and we anticipate many more legalization bills this year. We know that some states that have legalized assisted suicide will debate bills to expand their law.  

This article focuses on the experience with assisted suicide in jurisdictions where it is legal. 

Nearly every jurisdiction that has legalized assisted suicide, later expanded their law.

The assisted suicide lobby groups know that it is more difficult to legalize assisted suicide than it is to expand the law once it is legal.

The Canadian Experience Includes Some of the World's Most Permissive Policies Regarding Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia

The full article can be viewed here:  https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2025/02/13/new-hampshire-is-debating-legalized-assisted-suicide-heres-how-its-worked-out-elsewhere/   

Quebec became the first Canadian province to legalize assisted suicide in 2014. Since then, however, the Canadian Supreme Court has ruled it legal for all Canadians.

After multiple expansions, Canadian law includes some of the world’s most permissive policies on assisted suicide. Since 2021, a patient does not have to be terminally ill to receive the drugs in Canada, but rather may be experiencing a long and complicated condition – including disability alone – that impacts their quality of life. The law there also allows a provider to directly administer the drugs rather than require the patient self-administer. (When a provider administers the drug, it’s called euthanasia.) Some opponents have called these expansions part of a so-called slippery slope.

The practice has exploded there. Assisted dying now represents roughly 1 in 20 Canadian deaths, according to an annual report released in December by Health Canada with data from 2023, the most recent available. That’s 15,300 deaths, or 4.7% of deaths in the country. Most – roughly 96% – had a terminal illness, but a small minority – around 4% – fit into the category of illness with a natural death not “reasonably foreseeable.” The median age was 77.7.

In recent years, Canada’s assisted-suicide policies have garnered criticism for disproportionately being used by the poor and disabled.

Canada's Growing Euthanasia Program

By Dr Paul Saba (pictured left).

When Canada legalized assisted dying/suicide/euthanasia in 2016, it was supposed to be for only a “few” terminal illness patients with only days to live. As of December 31, 2023 approximately 60,000 Canadians had their lives ended by physician assisted dying (at the end of 2022 there were 44,958 assisted medical deaths). (Article Link).

Canada is the fastest growth assisted dying/suicide/euthanasia deaths of all countries where it has been legalized. 

Since March of 2021 the law has been further expanded to those with disabilities with decades to live and in 2027 those with only mental illness will be eligible for assisted suicide.

Quebec Scheduled to Begin Granting Requests for Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia (MAID)

By Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press 

MONTREAL — Quebecers who want to arrange a medically assisted death before their condition leaves them unable to grant consent can do so as of next month, the province announced Saturday as it unveiled details of a plan to grant such requests without waiting for Ottawa to update the country’s criminal code.

[Quebec Premier Francois Legault, left, walks to a cabinet meeting with Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube in Quebec City]

Quebec’s government said last month it would stop waiting for the federal government to implement the requested amendments and forge ahead with plans to grant early MAID requests. On Saturday, the province announced such requests could be granted as of Oct. 30.

Canadian Bill C-62 Regarding Mental Illness

Federal Bill C-62 seeks to amend Canada's Criminal Code, to provide that persons are not eligible, until March 17, 2027, to receive medical assistance in dying “if their sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness” continues its legislative journey.*

The adoption of a motion this week allowed this Bill to be expedited. Note that there was a failed attempt by the Bloc Québécois to add the issue of advance requests to C-62.

We thank psychiatrists Pierre Gagnon and Sonu Gaind who spent  Valentine's evening participating in the only meeting of the Standing Committee on Health studying the Bill.