Friday, September 29, 2023

Media Release: Support Bill C-314 – the Mental Health Protection Act


Media Release: Supporting Bill C-314 – the mental health protection act.

Press Conference: Tuesday October 3, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.

Location: Parliamentary Press Gallery – Room 135B West Block

The Hon. Ed Fast (Abbotsford) MP and the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition are hosting a press conference in support of Bill C-314, the mental health protection act.

Bill C-314 will protect people who are living with mental illness from medical assistance in dying (MAiD). The latest Angus Reid Institute survey that indicated that only 28% of Canadians support MAiD for mental illness while 82% of Canadians stated that mental health care should be improved before MAiD is considered.

Anike Morrison and 
Garifalia Milousis will both be speaking about their personal experiences as people who have lived with serious mental health issues. They will speak about the importance of passing Bill C-314.

Dr Paul Saba will be speaking about his experience as a physician.

Bill C-314 is scheduled to have its second hour of debate on Thursday, October 5, 2023.

For more information, call Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition at 519-851-1434 (cell) or email alex@epcc.ca

Participation in the question and answer portion of this event is in person or via Zoom, and is for accredited members of the Press Gallery only. Media who are not members of the Press Gallery may contact pressres2@parl.gc.ca for temporary access.

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Box 25033 London, ON N6C 6A8 Canada
Cell 519-851-1434
Email alex@epcc.ca
Website www.epcc.ca

4 comments:

  1. Doctors need to stop over prescribing anti-depressants. Seniors, in particular, are targeted and prescribed such drugs for various and in many cases erroneous reason. Perfect example is a seniors'/nursing home (in BC) that would not put, in this case a woman, on their waiting list until she had been on anti-depressants for a minimum of 3 months.

    Anti-depressants can not only increase, but they can introduce suicidal thoughts due to the severe side effects, especially for people who do not and should not be using these overpowering, addictive drugs.

    GPs are not qualified to be prescribing anti-depressants. They misuse these drugs and incorrectly prescribe them for medical conditions they know little about, eg. sleep disorders, fibromyalgia.

    Our society is broken; families are broken and the support system that once sustained all phases of family members' lives has disappeared.
    Faith based communities, that once brought companionship, guidance and support are few and far between.

    People who are depressed don't need MAID as their answer, they need family, friends and support....and a government system that is not normalizing suicide.

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    1. I have bipolar disorder and I agree with you in nearly every point except that antidepressants are not addictive and they have their place in psychiatric therapy. I also agree that they and other medications are often overprescribed and mid prescribed for the wrong disorder. People need to talk to a therapist, not just get medication. I can’t get to see a psychiatrist because my bipolar disorder is considered “too mild”! It’s ridiculous. I agree that MAID is not the solution to mental illness; funding needs to be restored to this vital area of medicine. Thank you for reading.

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  2. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition does not take a position on antidepressants. I simply republished a comment by Janice.

    ReplyDelete