Alberta has proposed a bill that would limit the use of medically assisted dying - also known as voluntary euthanasia - in the Canadian province solely to end-of-life circumstances.
In 2021, Canada expanded access to medically assisted dying, known domestically by the acronym Maid, to people with serious, incurable illnesses or disabilities, even if their death is not reasonably foreseeable.
Canada is also due to expand access next year to people whose only medical condition is mental illness, though that has twice been delayed.
Alberta is the first jurisdiction in Canada to independently propose limits to the practice.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated that Maid should only be an option for those with no hope of recovery. This legislation strengthens safeguards and restores clear limits on eligibility to protect vulnerable Albertans facing mental illness or living with disabilities, she expressed.
The proposal prohibits doctors from unilaterally discussing Maid with patients and bans its public advertising in healthcare facilities while enshrining conscience protections for healthcare professionals.
Although polls reveal broad support in Canada for medically assisted dying, the expansion of the program has sparked significant debate over the adequacy of existing safeguards.
Medically assisted deaths accounted for roughly 5% of deaths in Canada, according to federal government data, with a large majority having a death deemed reasonably foreseeable due to severe medical conditions.
Moira Wilson, president of Inclusion Canada, welcomed the proposed legislation in Alberta, urging other provinces to follow suit to enhance protections for those not at the end of life.
Counter to this, advocates for expanded Maid access, such as Helen Long from Dying with Dignity Canada, criticized the bill as limiting patient autonomy and creating new barriers for those in suffering.
