Poor, lonely and homeless opting for assisted death in Canada

Poor, lonely, and homeless Canadians are opting for state-assisted deaths due to their circumstances, a major report has found.

The first significant report into Canada's 'Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD)' system in Ontario found vulnerable people face "potential coercion".

Deaths identified in the report included a man grappling with addiction, a man with mental illness who previously tried to end his life, and a woman who couldn't access housing.

A disproportionate number of people who chose assisted death when they were not terminally ill – 29 per cent – came from Ontario’s poorest areas.

A member of the Committee examining the issue said: “This worrisome finding suggests that MAiD could be the option of least resistance and be used to end lives when social policies have failed them.”

And he warned that “the UK should not assume it will manage this better or avoid potential pitfalls”, saying, “real lives are at stake and the dangers of a slippery slope are very real”.

"When Canada legalised assisted suicide and euthanasia under MAiD in 2016, Canadians believed it was intended to be a rare, last-resort measure, reserved for consenting adults enduring intolerable suffering at the end of life.

"However, lobbying efforts have steadily pushed for broader access and eligibility...British legislators have to consider how easily assisted dying can be expanded, how easily abuses can go undetected.”

Assisted suicide legislation is due to be debated at Westminster on 29 November, and a separate proposals at the Scottish Parliament is being examined by a Committee of MSPs.

In this long read, CARE's James Mildred explores various issues and offers advice to Christians who wish to contact politicians: Is Assisted Suicide Inevitable? | CARE