Canadian Move Would Make It Easier For Thousands Of People To Medically End Their Lives

It appears the country could make it easier for Canadians to end their lives — medically speaking, that is.

According to a report on the cost of Bill C-7 which was released on October 20, the parliamentary budget office said that Canada could see an expansion in access to medical assistance in dying.

As a result, this could lead to thousands more aided deaths by next year.

This coincidently comes just one day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau chatted away with New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern while congratulating her on her landslide win where they discussed many things, including COVID-19 and medically assisted dying.

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What is medically assisted death?  

Medically assisted death is by definition the act of voluntarily ending someone's life with their permission.

This form of medical aid can only be provided by health care practitioners, in which a lethal substance is used to end the patient's life.  

To this day, there have been long-standing debates surrounding the controversial practice, as some argue it goes against nature and the basis of medicine because doctors are considered healers, not life-takers.

However, others believe that it is someone's right to chose when they want to die and that they should receive the right support to undertake it. 

What are the laws in Canada?

Canada passed federal legislation in 2016 that would see to it that any eligible Canadian adult could request medical assistance in dying.

According to Canadian law, only physicians and nurse practitioners can carry out this task.

However, pharmacists, family members and health care providers can also lend a hand without being charged under criminal law.

It's important to note that physicians or nurses can refuse to aid someone if it goes against their beliefs and values and that the federal government will not force anyone to provide medical assistance in dying.

Furthermore, Canada actually has two available options to die.

One is where the health care provider administers a deadly substance such as an injection.

The second is prescribing the patient with a drug that they would take themselves.

So how does one go about this? Well, for starters — and by Canadian standards — you must first be 18 years old or older and consent to die.

The criteria doesn't just stop there, in fact, you must also be "mentally competent", have an impossible to cure medical condition, and make your own request for medically assisted death without being pressured or influenced by anyone.

How many people are projected to die by assistance in 2021?

According to the new report, the expansion of access to medically assisted suicide could see an increase of almost 1,200 additional assisted deaths in 2021. 

The budget office believes that the new legislation would see an added 1,164 medically assisted deaths in Canada next year.

This is an addition to the already 6,465 deaths already projected.

With the help of Bill C-7, the government also wants to grow the eligibility for assisted death.

If the figures are correct, this move could possibly see $149 million in savings in 2021. The extra money would stem from the drop in end-of-life care costs. 

The report said that health care costs in the last year of life of patients are "disproportionately" high. However, the budget office said this report "should in no way be interpreted as suggesting that MAID be used to reduce health care costs."