Every 20th death in Canada is due to euthanasia. And this is not a record
13 December 2024 12:42
In 2023, medically assisted dying, also known as euthanasia, accounted for 4.7% of total deaths in Canada, which is about 15,300 cases. The average age of people who chose euthanasia was over 77 years old, and most of them suffered from serious illnesses such as cancer, reports "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the BBC.
Almost 96% of those who died by euthanasia had an “attainable probable” death associated with serious illness. In the minority of cases, patients who were not terminal requested assisted dying due to chronic and debilitating illnesses that seriously impaired their quality of life.
Despite the steady increase in the number of such cases, the growth rate of euthanasia slowed in Canada to 16% in 2023 compared to previous years, when this figure often exceeded 30%. The report notes that it is too early to conclude what exactly led to this slowdown.
This year, for the first time, the official report included data on the race and ethnicity of those who chose euthanasia. It turned out that about 96% of people who used this option are white Canadians, who make up about 70% of the total population. The second position in terms of ethnicity is occupied by representatives of East Asian peoples (1.8%), who make up about 5.7% of the Canadian population.
A particularly high level of medically assisted death is observed in Quebec, where almost 37% of all such cases were recorded, although this province accounts for only 22% of the total Canadian population. The government of Quebec has launched a study to find out the reasons for the high popularity of euthanasia in this region.
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Global experience
Canada continues to be one of several countries that have legalized medically assisted dying. Other countries that have adopted similar legislation in recent years are Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Austria. In Canada, any person who is of legal age and has a serious and irreversible illness may seek medical assistance for euthanasia.
At the same time, Canada requires two independent medical professionals to confirm that the patient is indeed eligible before approving a request for euthanasia.
At the same time, Canada has not reached the level of the Netherlands, where euthanasia accounts for about 5% of all deaths. Nevertheless, this country still remains a leader among the countries with the fastest growth in medical assisted dying programs. While these changes are ongoing in Canada, the UK, in particular, is discussing a similar bill that would allow assisted dying for terminal patients in England and Wales.
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