MAiD in Canada

About Medically Assisted Death in Canada for 2023:

• Suicides: 1.5% of deaths
• MAiD: 4.7% of deaths
• Combined total: approximately 6.2% of all Canadian deaths

In June 2016, Parliament passed Bill C-14, which legalized MAiD with eligibility criteria including having a serious and incurable illness, experiencing intolerable suffering, and having a reasonably foreseeable natural death. HillNotes.

Why MAiD is So Popular

Baby boomers (born 1946-1965) are the largest generation in Canadian history and began retiring in 2011. Between 2016 and 2021, the number of Canadians aged 65 and older increased by 18.3%. The population aged 85 and older is one of the fastest-growing age groups, with a 12% increase from 2016, and could triple by 2046 Statistics Canada.

Cancer was the most frequently reported underlying medical condition for MAiD, cited in 64.1% of cases in 2023. The median age of MAiD recipients was 77.6 years Canada.ca. 

The medications used in medical assistance in dying typically involve a two-step process:

• Pentobarbital (Nembutal) - most frequently used in jurisdictions like Switzerland, the Netherlands, and some U.S. states
• Secobarbital (Seconal) - used in some U.S. states
• These work by depressing the central nervous system, leading to unconsciousness, followed by respiratory arrest

In Canada, a combination protocol is often used:

1. First: A sedative/anesthetic (like midazolam or propofol) to induce unconsciousness
2. Second: A neuromuscular blocking agent or additional medication to stop breathing and heart function

Athenians used κώνειο (hemlock). Progress is real.