The euthanasia rules in Canada, which are already among the laxest in the world, could soon become much laxer. According to the AP, the new rule will soon make “mature” minors under the age of 18 and the mentally ill eligible for euthanasia.
By definition, euthanasia is “the practice of intentionally ending life to relieve pain and suffering.”
In 2016, Canada became the first country to legalize euthanasia, a practice in which medical professionals administer medications to end a patient’s life. According to the law, it is only permissible to do CPR on patients with a diagnosable pathological disease, who are going through “unbearable physical or mental pain that cannot be eased under conditions that patients feel acceptable,” and whose demise is “reasonably foreseeable.” Euthanasia must be requested by the patient, and at least two doctors must concur.
There have been allegations that certain patients, especially the disabled, have been forced into euthanasia and that some of those who have been killed did not genuinely have life-threatening conditions.
Canada's already liberal euthanasia laws will soon expand, permitting 'mature' children under 18, mentally ill to qualify https://t.co/eL3G4x0vbS
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 20, 2022
According to the Blaze, the nation’s euthanasia rules will now be expanded to include “mature” minors under the age of 18 and those with primarily mental illnesses. The latter category particularly worries Mary Vought, founder of Vought Strategies, who believes that “an explosion of new fatalities from euthanasia” may soon occur as a result of government lockdowns over the past two years that may have triggered or exacerbated experiences of mental illness.
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Others worry that some hospital staff have already persuaded some weak patients to choose euthanasia, maybe against their better judgment, despite the fact that Canadian law does not require medical staff to consult with patients’ families before making such decisions.
Because some patients may not have been safeguarded by the measures in place, “The standards are too weak and that even when individuals die who shouldn’t have died, there is almost no mechanism to hold the doctors and hospitals responsible,” claimed Trudo Lemmens, head of health law and policy at the University of Toronto.
10,000 Canadian patients were reportedly put to death lawfully in 2021, a 30% rise over the previous year, according to the AP. Since the law originally went into effect, 65% of the patients who were put to death had cancer. Other often mentioned conditions were those related to the heart, the respiratory system, and the nervous system.
The euthanasia law will change, and it will take effect in 2023.
Besides Canada, the country of Switzerland has also made it legal for assisted suicide. Some people are even making assissted suicide into a business. The Hill added these details:
According to news outlet Swiss Info, a member of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, the suicide pod, dubbed the Sarco machine, cleared legal review in the country and could start operating some time next year.
The Sarco machine has been developed by international nonprofit organization Exit International, which advocates for voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide.
While assisted suicides in the country typically involve the ingestion of liquid sodium pentobarbital, the capsule offers users a peaceful death without the use of controlled substances, Philip Nitschke, found of Exit International, says.“The person will get into the capsule and lie down. It’s very comfortable. They will be asked a number of questions and when they have answered, they may press the button inside the capsule activating the mechanism in their own time,” Nitschke told Swiss Info in an interview.
Controversial 'suicide pod' that 'kills peacefully' gets go-ahead in Switzerland https://t.co/GK2e8pnTG5 pic.twitter.com/kuVcmf22Cz
— New York Post (@nypost) December 7, 2021