State-facilitated suicides jumped 31% in 2022, accounting for over 4% of all deaths in Canada

Canada's Trudeau government recently released its fourth annual report on the northern nation's assisted-suicide regime, providing startling insights into the staggering number of lives that have been snuffed out by the state in recent years.

Last year, 4.1% of all deaths across the country were the result of state-facilitated suicide, up almost one point over 2021.

Hundreds of victims weren't moribund at the time of their executions. Previous reports have also cast doubt on whether all of these victims were voluntary or eligible.

What's the background?

The Canadian Supreme Court unanimously decided in 2015 to permit doctors to help kill their patients. In June 2016, the federal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau passed the Medical Assistance in Dying Act, legalizing the practice nationwide.

Originally, those seeking state-facilitated death were required to be at least 18 years of age with a "grievous and irremediable medical condition" causing "enduring physical or psychological suffering that is intolerable" to them. Additionally, they had to be in an "advanced state of irreversible decline," with death a likely outcome in the foreseeable future.

A Quebec Superior Court judge ruled in 2019 that people who were suffering but not dying also had a constitutional right to be put down.

The rules have been loosened ever since, allowing those with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other survivable issues to be put down.

In June, Quebec adopted a new law that allowed people with "a serious and incurable disease, such as Alzheimer's," to apply to have the government off them years in advance. The legislation also granted access to euthanasia for people with significant and persistent disabilities who were otherwise healthy and enabled government doctors to execute consenting patients in places other than hospitals, reported Reuters.

Deadly health care

In its first year, MAID was responsible for the deaths of 1,108 Canadians. That number nearly tripled in 2017. By 2021, the number had climbed to over 10,000 Canadian assisted suicide deaths.

Last year, MAID saw a 31.2% spike with 13,241 Canadians slain by the eugenicist-founded health care system.

While assisted suicide deaths accounted for 4.1% of all deaths nationwide, they amount to 6.6% and 5.5% of all deaths in the provinces of British Columbia and Quebec, respectively.

According to the report, natural death was not reasonably foreseeable for 223 (2.2%) of those euthanized in 2021. That number rose to 463 (3.5%) in 2022. Of those who were put down but were not otherwise likely to die of natural causes in the foreseeable future, 16 were between the ages of 18 and 45. 41 were between the ages of 46 and 55.

The annual growth rate in state-facilitated euthanasia procedures has been 31.1% from 2019 to 2022.

Since 2016, 44,958 Canadians have been euthanized under the program.

When citing medical reasons for wanting to be put down, 63% cited cancer as a main underlying condition; 18.8% cited cardiovascular conditions; 14.9% put "other condition"; 13.2% cited respiratory conditions; and 12.6% cited neurological conditions.

Blaze News reported earlier this month that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party blocked a bill that would have prevented Canada from euthanizing the mentally ill. As a consequence, starting March 17, 2024, people with mental disorders, including the depressed whose suicidal ideation is likely a symptom, will begin contributing to such statistics.

51.4% of victims were male and 48.6% were female. The average age was 77.

Reactions

Rebecca Vachon of Cardus, a conservative Canadian think tank, said of the report, "The nearly 31% year-over-year growth in death by euthanasia and assisted suicide is alarming. The fact that more than 4% of all deaths in Canada in 2022 came at the hands of a medical professional should give us all pause."

"It's frightening to think of how these numbers will grow if the federal government pushes forward in its plan to expand eligibility for euthanasia and assisted suicide to those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness," continued Vachon.

Vachon highlighted how the report indicated that proper palliative care oftentimes alleviates the desire to die. After all, 42% of applicants were shown to withdraw their assisted-suicide applications after proper care made state-facilitated death unnecessary.

"The health minister needs to prioritise helping suffering Canadians live better rather than simply providing the means for a premature death," said Vachon.

Jocelyn Downie, a professor at Dalhousie University who researches euthanasia law, alternatively suggested to Canadian state media the numbers were nothing to worry about.

"When you have something that's illegal, and it becomes legal, you are going to have an increase in the numbers," said Downie. "And it's going to take a little while for the numbers to settle."

Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Canadian Conservative Party, has indicated he aims to curtail MAID offerings if elected prime minister.

Downie suggested that limiting assisted-suicide, especially rolling back availability to the mentally ill, "is stigmatizing, it's paternalistic."

It appears numerous lawmakers in Ottawa agree with Downie. A parliamentary committee recommended earlier this year that assisted suicide should be made available to children as well.

The permissiveness concerning assisted suicide is not unique to Canadian liberals and euthanasia boosters like Downie.

Whereas in 1947, 37% of Americans supported euthanasia, Gallup indicated in 2017 that 73% of Americans polled supported euthanasia. In 2020, 74% of Americans polled said doctors should be able to put down a human patient with an incurable disease if asked to do so.

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