Euthanasia was Canada's 5th leading cause of death in 2022: report (2024)

Only cancer, heart disease, COVID-19, accidents and strokes ranked higher than medically-assisted suicide as causes of deaths in 2022

Author of the article:

Bryan Passifiume

Published Aug 09, 2024Last updated 1week ago2 minute read

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Euthanasia was Canada's 5th leading cause of death in 2022: report (1)

Despite promises of a“stringently limited, carefully monitored system of exceptions,” medically-assisted death is now the fifth-leading cause of death in Canada, says a newly-released report.

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Euthanasia was Canada's 5th leading cause of death in 2022: report (3)

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The report, released this week by Canadian think-tank Cardus, paints a bleak portrait of Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAiD) regime, which according to the report has seen a thirteen-fold rise in participants since its 2016 legalization.

“In less than a decade, euthanasia has gone from being a rare exception — as was originally intended by proponents, by policymakers, by the courts, by even the lead lawyer for the plaintiff in Carter v. Canada, to a routine cause of death in Canada,” said study author Alexander Raikin, a visiting fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based Ethics and Public Policy Centre.

“We’ve seen that between 2016 and 2022, deaths from euthanasia have grown 13 times higher than when we originally started,” he said. “In short, Canada has the fastest-growing euthanasia regime of anywhere in the world.”

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According to the report, 1,018 people died via medically-assisted suicide in 2016.

That’s compared to 13,241 reported deaths in 2022, the most recent year in which data was available.

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That made medically-assisted death — responsible for 4% of all deaths in 2022 — the fifth leading cause of death in Canada that year, with only cancer (82,412,) heart disease (57,357,) COVID-19 (19,716,) accidents (18,365) and cerebrovascular diseases (13,915) ranking higher.

“This is larger than almost anywhere else except for the Netherlands, a country that’s had decriminalized euthanasia for decades,” Raikin said. “So you have a new program that was meant to be limited and meant to be rare, and we find that it is no longer an option of last resort.”

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Canada’s enthusiastic response to euthanasia has raised a number of eyebrows around the world, with both disability and human rights advocates reacting with alarm.

In a Feb. 2021 letter from the UN’s special rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, concerns were expressed that Canada’s euthanasia regime may violate the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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Anticipated expansions of Canada’s MAiD regime to include those suffering from mental illness, expected to come into force this year, have now been pushed back to 2027.

It was nearly two years ago when Veterans Affairs Canada came under heavy scrutiny after several Canadian Forces members and veterans seeking mental health and transitional support were instead offered medically-assisted suicide by caseworkers.

One Canadian combat veteran said they were offered MAiD repeatedly by caseworkers.

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
x.com/bryanpassifiume

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    Euthanasia was Canada's 5th leading cause of death in 2022: report (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the leading cause of death in Canada 2022? ›

    In 2022, around 82,412 people in Canada died from cancer, making it by far the leading cause of death in the country. In comparison, an estimated 57,357 people died from diseases of the heart, while 19,716 died from COVID-19. In 2022, the death rate for diabetes mellitus.

    What is the 5th leading cause of death worldwide? ›

    Lower respiratory infections remained the world's most deadly communicable disease other than COVID-19, ranked as the fifth leading cause of death.

    What does research show is the leading cause of death in Canada? ›

    Since then, Canada has made great strides in cancer care. But unfortunately, cancer is still the leading cause of premature death in Canada.

    What is the euthanasia rate in Canada? ›

    There have been 44,958 MAID deaths reported in Canada since the introduction of legislation in 2016. In 2022, 13,241 MAID provisions were reported in Canada, accounting for 4.1% of all deaths in Canada. This represents a growth rate of 31.2% over 2021.

    What is the number 4 cause of death in Canada? ›

    COVID-19

    What are the top 5 causes of sudden death? ›

    • Arrhythmia. ...
    • Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) ...
    • Intracranial Emergencies. ...
    • Pulmonary Embolism (PE) ...
    • Aortic Catastrophe.
    Jan 20, 2015

    What are the top 5 causes of death under 5? ›

    Globally, infectious diseases, including pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, remain a leading cause of under-five deaths, along with preterm birth and intrapartum-related complications. The global under-five mortality rate declined by 60 per cent, from 93 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 37 in 2022.

    What is the fifth leading risk for global deaths? ›

    Overweight and obesity are the fifth leading cause of death in the world, accounting for nearly 3.4 million deaths annually.

    What are the top 5 preventable deaths? ›

    The results of this analysis indicate that, when considered separately, 91,757 deaths from diseases of the heart, 84,443 from cancer, 28,831 from chronic lower respiratory diseases, 16,973 from cerebrovascular diseases (stroke), and 36,836 from unintentional injuries potentially could be prevented each year.

    What is the leading cause of death in Canada in 2024? ›

    The top three leading causes of death in Canada are cancer, diseases of the heart, and unintentional injuries, or accidents. However, cancer is by far the leading killer of Canadians.

    What is the leading cause of criminal death in Canada? ›

    Impaired driving is the leading criminal cause of death and injury in Canada.

    What states have the highest euthanasia rates? ›

    Problem. California has now become the #1 State for most animals euthanized in shelters in America and the #1 State in the homeless animals population.

    How does euthanasia work? ›

    In the case of euthanasia, the physician administers a fatal dose of a suitable drug to the patient. In assisted suicide, by contrast, the physician supplies the lethal drug but the patient administers it. Both forms are covered by the Act and in both cases doctors must fulfil the statutory due care criteria.

    Is animal euthanasia legal in Canada? ›

    Many veterinarians try to avoid euthanizing animals when there are little ethical grounds, but it isn't prohibited and there is no way to stop it if a vet is willing. Other vets could try to adopt out the animals or give them to rescues, but sometimes it isn't possible and the pets are left in a terrible situation.

    Is the second leading cause of death in the United States and Canada? ›

    Heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injury are the three most common causes of death in the United States. In recent years COVID-19 has significantly impacted mortality, but this is now falling.

    Is diabetes the seventh leading cause of death in Canada? ›

    The death rate due to diabetes mellitus in Canada has fallen since 2000 from 21.8 per 100,000 population to 19.4 deaths per 100,000 population in 2022. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in Canada.

    What is Canada's current death rate? ›

    Death rate in Canada 2022

    In 2022, the death rate in Canada increased by 0.4 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (+4.88 percent) since 2021. Therefore, the death rate in Canada reached a peak in 2022 with 8.6 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.

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