A survey released last week showed that fewer than half of Canadians surveyed support Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), the country’s legalized physician-assisted death, in cases of mental illness alone. The survey had 1,570 adult respondents.
According to the Edmonton Journal, while 77% of those surveyed by the Leger polling firm indicated they support the country’s MAiD laws, only 42% said they are in favor of expanding eligibility to include cases of mental illness alone. An additional 30% said they didn’t know whether they supported such an expansion, while 28% outright oppose it.
Leger noted that its survey revealed “a pivotal shift in our societal approach to end-of-life care… This complex and nuanced issue intertwines with the fabric of medical ethics, personal autonomy, and the collective societal values we hold dear.”
READ: Experts warn Irish lawmakers against legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia
The survey comes after an announcement by Health Minister Mark Holland earlier this month that the implementation of MAiD for mental illness alone would be delayed until at least 2027. Holland said the delay would allow for Canadians to have a “deeper conversation” about the future of MAiD in the country. Holland’s announcement came after a report from the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying found that it would be “reckless and dangerous” to expand MAiD to include those suffering only from mental illness.
Assisted death in Canada has skyrocketed since it was first implemented in 2016, and it now ranks as one of the world’s leading countries in assisted deaths. Notably, officials have allowed for assisted suicide and euthanasia for a number of cases that had nothing to do with terminal illness or suffering, including a man who wanted to die because he couldn’t get affordable housing, and a woman who couldn’t get the medical treatment she needed, so she sought euthanasia instead. Government officials are also considering plans that may allow for the future euthanasia of children — without their parents’ consent.
Though the delay in implementing MAiD for mental illness is temporary, it marks one of the first instances in which the government is exercising restraint in a culture of death that has quickly spiraled out of control.
