Canada Won’t Allow Euthanasia Solely for Mental Illness, But Will for Dementia
Editorial note: The terms euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are often used interchangeably and will be in this article. Euthanasia refers to a healthcare worker intentionally and directly administering drugs to kill a patient. Physician-assisted suicide refers to a healthcare worker prescribing drugs for a patient to self-administer to end their own life. Canada allows both forms.
The Canadian government won’t allow elderly and infirm individuals to be approved for euthanasia solely for reason of mental illness.
After years of delay, Canada – which already has one of the most permissive euthanasia regimes in the world – will indefinitely bar individuals from being killed through euthanasia solely for receiving a mental illness diagnosis. The nation has already killed over 100,000 of its citizens since legalizing physician-assisted suicide in 2016.
Canadian Justice Minister Sean Fraser, citing a lack of consensus among physicians about whether mental illness is irremediable, said Wednesday, “While there is not a perfect consensus on this issue, we believe this is the correct approach at this particular time.”
The development comes as Bill C-218, which would have amended the Canadian Criminal Code to permanently prevent euthanasia for mental illness as a sole criterion, was unfortunately defeated in the Canadian Parliament by a vote of 187 to 141 on October 7.
Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, held a press conference ahead of the vote, alongside Dr. Laurence Normand-Rivest, Dr. Paul Saba and Odile Marcotte, a retired professor.
“Euthanasia based on a mental illness should never be approved,” Schadenberg said. “The law requires that a person have an ‘irremediable medical condition.’ That’s what the law requires [for a person] to be approved.”
“And yet, experts, for the most part, agree that it’s impossible to determine for which patients it’s irremediable, and which ones will get better,” Schadenberg explained.
According to Schadenberg, Bill C-218’s defeat was “directly related” to the justice minister’s declaration; it went down just three and a half hours after the announcement.
In 2021, the country expanded its euthanasia regime by enacting Bill C-7, which broadened individuals’ eligibility for euthanasia for serious and incurable medical conditions, even when their death is not reasonably foreseeable.
Bill C-7 also permitted euthanasia for mental illness alone, but the government delayed the provision for two years. The provision was delayed three times, and was set to be implemented on March 17, 2027, before Wednesday’s announcement.
Dr. Saba explained at the press conference, “A Harvard School of Public Health study found that nine out of ten people who attempted suicide but survived did not die by suicide after receiving treatment.”
“With proper care, the desire for suicide often disappears,” Saba continued. “Euthanasia of those with mental disorders is not mercy. It is murder masquerading as compassion.”
Today, Canada permits euthanasia for those with “grievous and irremediable medical conditions” under two different tracks: Track 1 and Track 2.
Under Track 1 (which represents around 96% of euthanasia cases), a person must have a “reasonably foreseeable” natural death, while those approved for euthanasia under Track 2 (around 4% of cases) do not have to have a “reasonably foreseeable” natural death.
Hundreds of Canadians are euthanized each year (732 in 2024) who have potentially many years of life left.
Additionally, since the law allows individual physicians to determine what constitutes a “grievous and irremediable medical condition,” many Canadians are approved for euthanasia despite having very treatable and manageable conditions.
The most common medical conditions cited for euthanasia include more serious diagnoses like cancer, neurological conditions, respiratory diseases and cardiovascular conditions. But the nation also allows individuals to be approved for minor conditions including diabetes, frailty, autoimmune conditions, chronic pain, joint, bone and muscle issues, and hearing and visual issues.
While every case of euthanasia is a tragic violation of an individual’s right to life, Canada’s permissive laws lead to even more grave cases of abuse, like for patient Alan Nichols, who physicians killed for the sole diagnosis of hearing loss.
Despite the Canadian government’s announcement it will bar individuals from being euthanized solely for mental illness, it also announced it will permit individuals to be killed by “advance request.”
Legislation will be introduced later this fall to change the Criminal Code to permit physicians to kill patients based on their advance request, even if they later lose the capacity to consent.
For example, someone in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease could request and be approved for euthanasia by advance request and then be killed later after their condition deteriorates and they can no longer agree to be killed.
Schadenberg cautioned the development is extremely concerning and invites further abuse of the Canadian system.
“Euthanasia by advanced request is a very dangerous concept as it permits doctors and nurse practitioners to kill someone who has become incompetent,” Schadenberg warned. “Therefore euthanasia by advance request is euthanasia without consent.”
Canada’s continued descent into darkness should serve as a warning to the world about the dire problems that result from legalizing euthanasia.
Every human being has dignity and value because all humans are made in the image of God.
As euthanasia continues to spread across the West, Christians must reaffirm each person’s dignity and worth and argue against euthanasia’s legalization and acceptance. Remember:
- Opponents of euthanasia oppose killing innocent people.
- Euthanasia corrupts the medical profession and violates the Hippocratic Oath.
- Euthanasia is essentially never necessary to control pain or suffering at the end of life.
- Euthanasia can transform the “right to die” into a “duty to die” by the state.
- Suffering, while never an intrinsic good, can serve a redemptive purpose.
“Every life is valuable and worth fighting for,” Dr. Saba added. “True compassion means supporting people through their dark times, not ending their lives.”
Focus on the Family offers a one-time complimentary consultation with our ministry’s professionally trained counselors. To reach Focus on the Family’s counseling service by phone, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Alternatively, you can fill out our Counseling Consultation Request Form.
Related articles and resources:
Understanding God’s Plan for the End of Life
A Godly Perspective on End-of-Life Decisions
Aging Loved Ones and Physician-Assisted Suicide
Answers to Common Questions About Physician-Assisted Suicide
The Problem With Ending It All: A Response to Physician-Assisted Suicide
Disturbing Report Tells Story of Toddler Euthanized in the Netherlands
As Euthanasia Expands in the West, Here’s How Christians Can Respond
Anglican Church of Canada Launches ‘Pastoral Liturgy’ for Medically-Assisted Suicide
Canada to Report Killing Over 100,000 People With Physician-Assisted Suicide
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