A Decade of Death: Ten Years of “Medical Aid in Dying” in Canada
By Bridget Palm, WRTL Summer 2026 Intern
Euthanasia now accounts for approximately 1 in every 20 deaths in Canada, rapidly surpassing the rates of its European counterparts in the ten years that it has been legal. The country has achieved this deadly rate through its Medical Assistance in Dying program, known as MAiD, which reaches its 10-year milestone this year.
The majority of authorized MAiD cases consist of Canadian citizens over 18, mentally competent, suffering from a ‘grievous and irremediable medical condition,’ who have voluntarily requested death, and given informed consent, in addition to other criteria.
“Safeguards” Abandoned
But the terms of this legalized killing are a slippery slope, a fact that concerns even some physicians who administer “aid in dying” in Canada. Initially, the criteria allowed euthanasia and assisted suicide for only the elderly or those whose illness is terminal, but now the criteria has, unsurprisingly, shifted. In 2021, the Canadian government lifted the requirement that a patient’s death be “reasonably foreseeable.”
Though patients approaching imminent death are considered the primary candidates for euthanasia and assisted suicide, the criteria has now shifted to include those with a medical condition that they cannot bear to live with. There are also increasing reports of MAiD being offered to patients who have not expressed any desire to end their lives, which is a violation of both medical ethics and the legal practice of MAiD.
Expansion for Mental Illness
Furthermore, in two years, Canada will authorize MAiD for those only suffering from mental illness, even though such patients cannot necessarily be said to be “mentally competent.” With this limitation eventually lifted, there is a real possibility of euthanasia being used against those unable to advocate for themselves. If a person’s right to make his own choices about his life is the primary reason to legalize euthanasia, the mental stability of a patient considering MAiD should be a priority.
Claire Brosseau, a Canadian actress and comedian, has requested MAid, citing decades of overwhelming struggles with mental illness. While this is not currently a legal authorization of MAiD, it will be in two years. Such a measure further endangers otherwise physically healthy, curable people, who need proper healthcare instead of coercion from physicians pushing euthanasia.
In another similarly concerning case, Alan Nichols was euthanized by the Canadian government after struggling with depression and other health issues. Shockingly, the only health reason listed for his MAiD application was hearing loss. While obviously an abuse of an already corrupt system, his request was authorized, and Alan was euthanized in just a month, against the wishes of his family.
What Wisconsinites Need to Know
While euthanasia and assisted suicide are often framed as compassionate solutions to extreme suffering, the truth is that they deny the value of human life. Even if authorization for euthanasia or assisted suicide is initially limited to the terminally ill, its guardrails can easily be manipulated so that the mentally ill, those with disabilities, and other vulnerable members of society are threatened as well.
Canada’s euthanasia laws seem extreme and not something that everyday Americans fear in our country. But states like New York and even Illinois, our next-door neighbor, have already legalized assisted suicide. In 2023, Wisconsin representatives introduced an assisted suicide bill, which ultimately failed to pass.
These threats to human life are not only in Canada and Europe. They will quickly become prevalent throughout America if we don’t fight back. Here in Wisconsin, it is essential that we stay vigilant in defending all innocent life, from preborn babies to those left vulnerable by assisted suicide and euthanasia.