Canada and the killing program: 90 thousand euthanasia and growing public silence

There is a program in Canada MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) – “medical assistance in dying.” Once upon a time intended as an exception for hopelessly illit has become common practice.

Since 2016 in the country about 90 thousand people were killed. In 2024 alone, 16,500 such cases were counted—almost 5% of all deaths in the country.

According to the executive director of the Coalition Against Euthanasia Alex Schadenbergthe number of deaths is growing annually by 7.5%. On Vancouver Island euthanasia accounts for a third of all deathsand most new applications were approved according to the wording “senile frailty” – without terminal diagnoses. People are just tired of living.

Medicine that doesn’t cure

The average wait time to see a specialist in Canada has reached 27.7 weeks. For many, this means wait or die. Some are simply pushed towards the second option. So, 52-year-old Dan Quayle agreed to euthanasia after being denied cancer treatment due to an overcrowded list. A Winnipeg woman with ALS chose death, writing in her obituary: “I could have had more time if I had help.”

More and more often euthanasia presented as a healthcare alternative. And those who refuse face pressure: they are hinted that they are “selfish”preventing others from obtaining resources.

New horizons of “help”

The Canadian government plans to expand MAiD to people with mental disordersas well as for minors. After sharp criticism from doctors and the public, the implementation of this idea was only delayed until 2027.

Social effect: devaluation of life

Today, euthanasia ranks sixth among leading causes of death in Canada. What started out as a “compassionate asset” has become a budget-saving tool and a symbol of societal fatigue. In essence, the state offers citizens a choice between waiting lists for treatment And lethal injection without pain.

Conclusion: Canada has built a system where sometimes it’s easier to kill than to heal. And the numbers in the reports hide not just end-of-life decisions, but collapse of medical ethics And society’s fatigue with its own humanity.

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