Thursday, April 27, 2017

970 reported assisted deaths in Canada (2016)

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Health Canada released an interim update on medical assistance in dying on April 26. The report indicates that there were 970 reported assisted deaths. The data was based on a full year in Québec and 6.5 months (June 17 - Dec 31) in the rest of Canada

There were 463 reported assisted deaths in (Québec, Yukon and Nunavut) and 507 reported assisted deaths in the rest of Canada. Out of 507 assisted deaths there were 504 euthanasia deaths (lethal injection) and 3 assisted suicide deaths (lethal prescription).

There may be more assisted deaths. According to the report, not every province has a legal requirement to report assisted deaths while Nunavut and the Yukon territories did not submit information based on privacy concerns and the small number of assisted deaths.

The 970 reported assisted deaths represented 0.6% of all deaths in Canada. Other than Québec, where there were 463 deaths in the full year, these deaths occurred in 6.5 months (June 17 - Dec 31). The percentage of assisted deaths is highest in British Columbia, where there were 188 assisted deaths, where they have two euthanasia clinics, as compared to 189 assisted deaths in Ontario.

The number of assisted deaths is high compared to Belgium where there were 235 reported assisted deaths in its first full year (2003), 349 in its second full year and 393 in its third full year after legalization. Currently Belgium is approximately 1/3 of Canada's population.

Recently CBC news reported that there were more than 1324 assisted deaths up to March 31. The CBC news data did not include all of the assisted deaths in British Columbia and it did not include Québec assisted deaths since December 31.

The Netherlands recently reported that there were 6091 reported assisted deaths in 2016 representing 4% of all deaths. Based on the current number of assisted deaths, it is possible that Canada will surpass the Netherlands and Belgium.

The euthanasia lobby are pressuring to have euthanasia extended to people with mental illness, people who are under 18 and for people who are incompetent, but who stated in their advanced directive that they would want to die by euthanasia.


Ontario is the only jurisdiction that is forcing physicians, who oppose killing their patients, to effectively refer their patients for euthanasia. 

Doctors should not be forced to refer their patients for euthanasia.

4 comments:

Dave Jackson said...

You may wish to correct your link to the report.


https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/health-system-services/medical-assistance-dying-interim-report-dec-2016.html

gadfly said...

These numbers are, based on one time and another time, (one year versus part of a year, I think), inaccurate.

They are under estimates. As well, it is pointed out that we are 'allowed' to know the death numbers. But I see Bill 84 states that the underlying disease or accident leading to the demand for death will be the cause of death.

Way to hide any problems...

Don't Canadian citizens have a right to know what their tax dollars are doing to vulnerable Canadian citizens? Or were the hyped sufferers (Rodriguez, Latimer et al etc.) simply as we now learn, patsies to push through a death agenda?

perabo said...

I remember when abortion was no longer considered to be constitutionally illegal. I also remember, its 30th anniversary, when I bicycled from,Windsor to Ottawa and made Pro Life presentations in Catholic High Schools along he way, in those that did not consider the topic too controversial.
Alas, the numbers of abortions has since rapidly increased and are currently only leveling off, as a result of the drop in birthrate.
The number of seniors is steadily increasing, so likely will the number of assisted suicide, calling it what it is, what used to be considered murder, and may soon surpass the rate of abortion, another for of 'assisted' murder.
Are there really individuals, whether members of the,'Dying with Dignity' or 'Freedom of Choice', that will consider this a great advancement of our Canadian HEALTH Care system?
It's frightening to realize how advanced and tolerant a nation Canada has become.
Eugene Perabo, Ottawa

Suzanne Jacklin said...

Well, we all know that evil grows in the dark, right? So, it's not too surprising that the statistics about 'assisted deaths' and 'euthanasia' are not accurate. I am grateful to EPC for shining a light on this issue. We desperately need to keep shining the light of TRUTH on the ACTUAL number of deaths that are occurring under this evil law! First, comes the killing of the 'aged', the 'ill' and the 'feeble'. 'Anti-Life' has taken hold.

With everything else that is going on in the world -- in politics (i.e., far right-wing 'nuts' vs. so-called 'Liberal progressives' in the West; economic crises and population unrest all over the world; wars & scores of refugees; horrendous violence & famines in varied parts of Africa; and always, 'poverty' & 'abuse' of the poor in every corner of the world -- circumstances are in place for a massive World War to be sparked!

Our ONLY hope is to hold onto Jesus with both hands; and to be vigilant so that we are aware of what is really going on!