We oppose killing people, we support better end-of-life care.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

We are incredibly thankful with the defeat of the assisted suicide bills in the UK and Scotland this year and the incredible victory in Slovenia in November 2025.

These victories are proof that there is not overwhelming support for the concepts surrounding medical homicide (euthanasia and assisted suicide). Nonetheless these victories also uncover significant cultural challenges, especially in the UK.

One of the major reasons that these assisted suicide bills were defeated was that the language of these bills lacked effective definition and adequate protections for people at a vulnerable time of their life. Would a bill with clear language and proper oversight have passed?

The problems with the language and definitions within the UK assisted suicide bills are the same problems that we have experienced in Canada with the lack of oversight and expansions of medical homicide based on undefined language in the law.

As bad as the language of the law is, we oppose killing people.

During the assisted suicide debates in the UK and Scotland, those who opposed and supported the assisted suicide bills recognized that it was necessary to improve end-of-life care. 

We agree. It is unacceptable that people do not get the care that they need as they approach the end of their life.

This is a significant challenge for the UK National Health Service (NHS) as the cost of care is significant and yet necessary. I hope that the UK and Scottish governments don't simply talk in platitudes but rather employ action.

We support caring for people and we oppose killing people.

There are many reasons to oppose medical homicide but the primary reason is the effect on the culture and every individual when the government gives medical professionals, or some other group (Swiss assisted suicide clinics) the right in law to be directly involved with killing people.

• Effective legislative language will not protect people once they are killed.
• Excellent end-of-life care will not safeguard people once they are killed.

Further to that, the incentive to kill is great.

• Dead people don't need medical treatment or pain control.
• Dead people don't collect retirement pensions.
• Dead people don't collect disability benefits.

It is the commitment to opposing medical homicide that comes first and then jurisdictions must actually provide better end-of-life care, equality for people with disabilities, and support for people with chronic conditions.

This is similar to suicide prevention campaigns. A commitment to suicide prevention requires the resources to help people at their lowest point, but the commitment starts with recognizing that every suicide is tragic.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition celebrates the victories in the jurisdictions that have rejected medical homicide (euthanasia and assisted suicide) as we oppose killing people. We challenge these jurisdictions to improve end-of-life care, equality for people with disabilities and the care of people living with chronic and often painful conditions.

We oppose killing people, and we can, and must provide better care.