Canada's rapidly-expanding euthanasia program drawing scrutiny
'Canada has become a complete cautionary tale for the rest of the world of the path not to go down,' said activist Amanda Achtman.
On last night's episode of The Ezra Levant Show, human life activist and founder of the Dying To Meet You project Amanda Achtman discussed the shocking rise of euthanasia in Canada.
Canada is home to the fastest-growing euthanasia program in the world, known as Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). Due to this rapid expansion, over 4% of all deaths in the country are now aided by doctors.
"We have had about 70,000 Canadians euthanized since it was legalized nationwide in 2016," Achtman said. "And more Canadians have been killed by doctors and nurses in hospitals and homes than the total number of Canadians who died of Covid."
Achtman explained that the number one reason people choose MAID in Canada is because of the loss of ability to engage in meaningful life activities, which means giving people hope is extremely important.
"So many people are saying, if I can no longer play bridge, if I can no longer go south in the winter, if I can no longer do this or that, then my life has no meaning, it's no longer worth living," she said.
Achtman went on: "Euthanasia is now the fifth leading cause of death in Canada. And in parts of Canada 5% of all deaths, in other parts of Canada, for example Vancouver Island, in the last quarter, it was 11.4% of deaths were euthanasia."
The highest rate of MAID usage in Canada is in Quebec, with the province now known as the area with the highest proportion of individuals opting for medically-assisted suicide in the world.
Quebec has also taken the step to allow advanced requests for MAID before the onset of degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's, which could leave an individual unable to give consent.
The most recent government data shows that in 2022, over 13,000 Canadians ended their lives using MAID, representing over 4% of all deaths that year in the country.