A majority of Canadians are not in favor of expanding medically assisted suicide, and are even more concerned about the idea, according to a new poll conducted by the nonprofit Angus Reed Institute in partnership with think tank Cardas. I feel uncomfortable.
“Less than a third of Canadians are unhappy with providing medically assisted suicide to people with mental illness alone, and 51% of Canadians are against it,” Carr Das said on 13 February. news release.
In all provinces except Quebec, surveyed Canadians opposed offering assisted suicide to people with mental illness alone. Politically across the board, a “significant portion” of voters in liberal, conservative, NDP, and Bloc Quebec oppose euthanasia in the context of mental illness, Cardas points out.
Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said that “all alternative treatments must be exhausted” before obtaining medically assisted death.
More than half of Canadians, 55%, fear that assisted suicide will supersede the provision of adequate social services, and one-third of Canadians fear that increased access to euthanasia will reduce their commitment to palliative care. I was concerned that it would mean a decline.
maid expansion
By March 17, 2023, the federal government intended to allow people with mental illness to undergo medically assisted death (MAID), also known as euthanasia, as the only standard.
“Ministers need to step back from extending medical assisted suicide to people suffering from mental illness,” said Rebecca Vachon, Cardas health program director. “The government must work to ensure that Canadians have access to all the mental health and social services they need before considering potential expansion.”
On February 2, Justice Minister David Rameti announced: twitter Bill C-39 is introduced in the House of Representatives, delaying the expansion of eligibility criteria for assisted suicide to mentally ill persons for one year.
Rametti Said The Ad Hoc Joint Commission on Dying Medical Assistance is finalizing its final report on the provision of euthanasia for the mentally ill.
On March 13, the House began debate on Bill C-39. “The primary purpose of this bill is to ensure the safe evaluation and provision of MAiD in all situations where mental illness is the basis for a claim,” Rametti said in the House of Representatives on Feb. 13. .
A poll found that 61% of Canadians said they would support allowing patients to request assisted death “under certain circumstances but without facing a foreseeable death”.
But since assisted suicide was first offered as a ‘cure’ in Canada in 2016, the number of Canadians using it has ‘increased tenfold,’ he said. Angus Reedto over 10,000 by 2021.
Two-thirds, or 64%, said people dealing with debilitating chronic pain should be able to ask for assisted suicide. Two out of five (40%) said they supported euthanasia for people with some serious health problem. However, in scenarios in which a person is dealing with mental health issues, the proportion of those in favor drops dramatically, with only 23% supporting euthanasia for post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression. 22% support MAID.
All those surveyed who had religious beliefs opposed euthanasia, citing mental illness as the only criterion.
The study was conducted online with 1,816 Canadians at the end of January.
Peter Wilson contributed to this report.