A record number of people in Canada chose to end their lives in 2024 through the country's “Medical Assistance in Dying” law (Medical Assistance in Dying), according to a new report released by the Canadian government, Aleteia.org reported.
In 2024, a total of 16,499 people died this way, an increase of 6.9% over the total for 2023. This brings the number of Canadians who have ended their lives with medically assisted dying to over 76,000 since the law was legalized in 2016.
MAiD is medical assistance in dying, which is applied when a person wishes to end their life in a humane manner, usually due to a serious and incurable condition accompanied by unbearable suffering. The practice has been legal in Canada since June 17, 2016, and is regulated by the Criminal Code.
Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Coalition to Prevent Euthanasia, said the latest report from Canada shows that there is much to be concerned about. "Canada is becoming a world leader in the killing of its own citizens. It is normalizing killing," he said. His call to the world is not to legalize medical killing.