Euthanasia by Advanced Directive – A recipe for abuse.

Euthanasia by Advanced Directive – A recipe for abuse.

by Administrator
Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Dr Catherine Ferrier who is a Montreal physician who specializes in gerontology wrote an excellent article that was published in the Montreal Gazette titled: Advance Directives for assisted death a recipe for abuse.

Ferrier begins her article by outlining the challenges faced for people with dementia:

In my work in geriatric medicine, I have cared for thousands of people with dementia and their families. The challenge they face is not only the disease, but the stigma and neglect. The constantly fuelled perception that their life is undignified.

Ferrier then refers to advanced directives for Medical Aid in Dying (euthanasia), that is permitted by Québec’s Bill 38 which is being debated.

… Read More “Euthanasia by Advanced Directive – A recipe for abuse.”
Euthanasia is a runaway train in Canada. It’s time to hit the brakes.

Euthanasia is a runaway train in Canada. It’s time to hit the brakes.

by Administrator

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Brian Bird

Brian Bird, who is an assistant professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of B.C. wrote a Special article that was published by the National Post on May 4, 2022. Bird explains why the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (AMAD), that is currently holding hearings on further expanding Canada’s euthanasia (MAiD), should instead stop any further expansions of the law. Bird writes:

By next year, Canada may have journeyed — in only seven years — from a total prohibition on euthanasia to euthanasia at an adult’s deathbed to euthanasia for mental and physical illness at any moment of an adult’s life.

… Read More “Euthanasia is a runaway train in Canada. It’s time to hit the brakes.”
Japanese dystopian euthanasia film “Plan 75”

Japanese dystopian euthanasia film “Plan 75”

by Administrator
Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Jurgen Hecker wrote a film review of the Japanese dystopian euthanasia film “Plan 75” that was published by Japan Today on May 22. “Plan 75” reportedly shook audiences to the core at the Cannes film festival.

“Plan 75” responds to the aging demographic of Japan with a dystopian vision of a government program that would encourage people to die by euthanasia at the age of 75. Hecker wrote:

In the movie, anybody over 75 is encouraged to sign up for a deal with the government by which they receive a sum of money in return for agreeing to be euthanised.

… Read More “Japanese dystopian euthanasia film “Plan 75””
Assisted suicide must not be confused with palliative care.

Assisted suicide must not be confused with palliative care.

by Administrator
Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Dr. Ebru Kaya is an associate professor of medicine and the president of the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians (CSPCP) and Dr. Leonie Herx is division chair and associate professor of palliative medicine at Queen’s University and a past president of the CSPCP wrote an opinion article that was published by the Globe and Mail on May 9, titled: Assisted dying must not be confused with palliative care.

The context for the article is the government committee that is examining the expansion of MAID to children (mature minors) and incompetent people who requested death in their advanced directive.

… Read More “Assisted suicide must not be confused with palliative care.”
Care for People with Cognitive Impairment: Don’t Euthanize Them

Care for People with Cognitive Impairment: Don’t Euthanize Them

by Administrator

By Dr Paul Saba is co-founder of Physicians for Social Justice and is the author of a book entitled “Made to Live.” 

The proposed Bill 38 being debated in the Québec National Assembly is dangerous. Cognitively impaired people will be allowed to decide by advanced directives the ending of their lives via lethal injection by euthanasia. This should not happen. Quebec parliamentarians must vote no to Bill 38. (Link to Bill 38).

Henriette is a woman in her 70s who has been experiencing slow cognitive decline and has been my patient.

Her daughter is a busy real estate agent who until recently was able to help care for her mother who lived downstairs in a duplex they shared.

… Read More “Care for People with Cognitive Impairment: Don’t Euthanize Them”
Dr Ramona Coelho: Offering euthanasia to a suicidal person leads to premature deaths.

Dr Ramona Coelho: Offering euthanasia to a suicidal person leads to premature deaths.

by Administrator

By Michalina Ratajczak
Assistant to the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Executive Director

Dr Coelho’s presentation to the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (Link). (Facebook Link).

On May 13th, 2022, the Canadian government’s expert panel on MAiD and Mental Illness released its final report, which recommended no added legislative safeguards to Bill C-7 for those living with mental illness. Dr. Ramona Coelho (blog link), who recently presented at a meeting of the federal Special Joint Committee examining the provisions of the Criminal Code relating to medical assistance in dying, noted that the expert panel’s report:

“…is more dangerous than I could have anticipated.

… Read More “Dr Ramona Coelho: Offering euthanasia to a suicidal person leads to premature deaths.”
Euthanasia, where and when does it stop?

Euthanasia, where and when does it stop?

by Administrator

By Nic Steenhout, Disability rights advocate and the former Director of Vivre dans la Dignité

Nic Steenhout

It is with great sadness and a fair bit of distress that I learned about two recent cases of so-called “Medical Aid In Dying” (euthanasia by any other name). The stories of two disabled women who were pushed to apply for MAID because their circumstances didn’t allow them the choice of living would be distressing for most of us.

… Read More “Euthanasia, where and when does it stop?”
Euthanasia (MAiD) is out of control in Canada.

Euthanasia (MAiD) is out of control in Canada.

by Administrator

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

In April I wrote about the euthanasia death of a 51-year-old Ontario woman who had chemical sensitivities. The story was reported by CTV National News Medical Correspondent, Avis Favaro who reported that the woman was not terminally ill but living with chronic chemical sensitivities and environmental allergies. Favaro reported:

She died after a frantic effort by friends, supporters and even her doctors to get her safe and affordable housing in Toronto. She also left behind letters showing a desperate two-year search for help, in which she begs local, provincial and federal officials for assistance in finding a home away from the smoke and chemicals wafting through her apartment.

… Read More “Euthanasia (MAiD) is out of control in Canada.”
Why euthanasia for children “mature minors” is wrong.

Why euthanasia for children “mature minors” is wrong.

by Administrator
Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Dr Ramona Coelho

Dr Ramona Coehlo, a family physician in London Ontario and the Hon Graydon Nicholas,

a member of the Wolastoqiyik Nation and a former Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick wrote an insightful opinion article that was published in the Ottawa Citizen on May 11, 2022 on the issue of euthansia for children.

They begin by explaining that the government’s Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), is currently meeting and, among other issues, is considering MAiD for children. Briefs can be submitted to the committee until May 30.
… Read More “Why euthanasia for children “mature minors” is wrong.”
Protect Children’s Lives from euthanasia.

Protect Children’s Lives from euthanasia.

by Administrator

We have great news for you and we know you will want to be part of it.

For some time, pressure to legalize child euthanasia has been gaining strength. In 2014 Belgium was the first country to legalize child euthanasia. In the Netherlands the government launched a discussion about child euthanasia. We took action and we have begun to see favourable results for protecting the fundamental right to life of our children.

… Read More “Protect Children’s Lives from euthanasia.”
Family learned of the euthanasia death of a loved one after she died.

Family learned of the euthanasia death of a loved one after she died.

by Administrator
Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

CBC radio program – White Coat, Black Art featured a story of a family who learned of the euthanasia death of a family member, after she died. They never had a chance to say goodbye.

Dr Brian Goldman, the host of the CBC radio program reports:

Cynthia’s voice wavered as she recalled how she found out about Cheryl’s (Cheryl was Cynthia’s sister) death.

“I was teaching piano on Zoom and the phone rang,” she said.

“My husband took the phone, talked to my dad and came into the room and said, ‘You have to mute.’

… Read More “Family learned of the euthanasia death of a loved one after she died.”
Profound social change with euthanasia for mental illness.

Profound social change with euthanasia for mental illness.

by Administrator

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Dr Ramona Coehlo

An article by Dr Sonu Gaind, Dr Ramona Coehlo, Dr John Maher and Professor Trudo Lemmens challenging Canada’s federal government policy to extend euthanasia to people for mental illness alone was published today by Policy Options titled: Missing the mark on a profound social change with MAiD for mental illness.

Gaind, Coehlo, Maher and Lemmens challenge the false statements by Jocelyn Downie, one of the world’s leading “academic” pro-euthanasia (MAiD) activist and Mona Gupta, a psychiatrist who has been promoting euthanasia for mental illness alone. Downie and Gupta recently published a response to the Québec Commission report on MAiD, a report that decided not to approve euthanasia for people with mental illness alone.

… Read More “Profound social change with euthanasia for mental illness.”
The Liberal Humanist case against assisted suicide.

The Liberal Humanist case against assisted suicide.

by Administrator

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Kevin Yuill

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition has been fortunate to have had Kevin Yuill present at several of our conferences. He recently spoke at an event in Italy. His most recent article: The Liberal Humanist case against assisted suicide was published by Spiked on March 25. Yuill is a professor of American studies at the University of Sunderland (UK).

Yuill begins his article by quoting Baroness Meacher who recently introduced an assisted suicide measure in the House of Lords (UK) that was thankfully defeated. Yuill begins his article by examining Meacher’s statement with helping a friend arrange an assisted death in Switzerland:

‘I was motivated purely by compassion.

… Read More “The Liberal Humanist case against assisted suicide.”
Why an atheist opposes the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia?

Why an atheist opposes the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia?

by Administrator

The following speech was delivered by Kevin Yuill at a press conference in Rome opposing euthanasia and assisted suicide that was co-sponsored by the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.

Kevin Yuill is the author of the book – Assisted Suicide: The Liberal, Humanist Case Against Legalisation.

I must apologise for the academic take on this but I find that the more I research and think about this subject, the more disturbing it gets.

… Read More “Why an atheist opposes the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia?”
Canada is Trying to Force Christian Medical Centers to Kill People in Assisted Suicides

Canada is Trying to Force Christian Medical Centers to Kill People in Assisted Suicides

by Administrator

The euthanasia lobby has started a campaign to force Canada’s denominational medical institutions to participate or provide (MAiD) euthanasia.

The Canadian Press reported that Dying With Dignity is campaigning to stop “forced transfers” a process that they define as transfers from medical facilities that forbid (MAiD) euthanasia.

The euthanasia lobby wants to stop the transfer of people who have requested euthanasia by forcing denominational medical institutions to do euthanasia.

The Canadian Press report stated:

Dying With Dignity says the service is being restricted because of an agreement that allows facilities covered by the Denominational Health Association to collect taxpayer dollars but refuse to perform services they oppose on religious or moral grounds.

… Read More “Canada is Trying to Force Christian Medical Centers to Kill People in Assisted Suicides”
Five Years Experience with (MAiD) euthanasia in Canada – A skeptics point of view.

Five Years Experience with (MAiD) euthanasia in Canada – A skeptics point of view.

by Administrator
Tom Koch

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

An excellent research article was written by Tom Koch and published on February 12, 2022 titled: A Sceptics Report: Canada’s Five Years Experience with Medical Termination (MAiD). 

Koch, who is an ethicist and long-time researcher on issues related to end of life care, examines Canada’s experience with euthanasia in comparison to other jurisdictions that have legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Koch thoroughly examines the history that led to the legalization of euthanasia (MAiD) in Canada and compares Canada to other jurisdictions, such as the Netherlands.

With reference to Canada Koch writes:

The Canadian experience since 2016 has evidenced a similar pattern of expansion.

… Read More “Five Years Experience with (MAiD) euthanasia in Canada – A skeptics point of view.”
Ontario euthanasia deaths incease by more than 30% in 2021.

Ontario euthanasia deaths incease by more than 30% in 2021.

by Administrator

“Approximately 10,000 Canadian assisted deaths in 2021 and approximately 31,000 Canadian assisted deaths since legalized”

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario released the 2021 MAiD data which indicates that there were 3102 assisted deaths up from 2378 in 2020 representing more than a 30% increase.

The Ontario December 2021 data showed a significant increase with 298 reported euthanasia deaths as compared to 188 reported euthanasia deaths in December 2020.

A further analysis indicates that the growth in killing by lethal injection is  actually worse. According to the data, in the first half of 2021 there were 1363 assisted deaths, up from 1127 in the first half of 2020 or a 21% increase, but in the second half of 2021 there were 1739 assisted deaths up from 1251 in the second half of 2020 which is a 39% increase.
… Read More “Ontario euthanasia deaths incease by more than 30% in 2021.”
A duty to warn Americans after years of medicalized assisted death in Canada

A duty to warn Americans after years of medicalized assisted death in Canada

by Administrator
Gordon Friesen

By Gordon Friesen, EPC board member
http://www.euthanasiediscussion.net/

A proposition for legislative opposition to the medical justification of assisted suicide and euthanasia, based upon years of experience with hyper-medicalized assisted death in Canada

A unique Canadian experience, and a duty to forewarn

It is an unfortunate fact that Canada, since 2015, has had a much greater and more painful experience of assisted death than any other country in the English speaking world. It is therefore to be hoped that our experience may be of some use to those, of similar cultural affinity, who are currently faced with the legalization and expansion of such practices, and particularly, of some help to our immediate American neighbours.

… Read More “A duty to warn Americans after years of medicalized assisted death in Canada”
The public are being “scared” into supporting assisted suicide and euthanasia

The public are being “scared” into supporting assisted suicide and euthanasia

by Administrator

Press release from: The Association of Palliative Medicine (UK)

Date: Wednesday 26th January 2022

The public are at risk of being “scared” into supporting assisted suicide and euthanasia, because of a handful of hard cases, exaggerated reporting, and a lack of accurate information about palliative care, warn end of life doctors.

The claims are contained in a new study from the Association of Palliative Medicine (APM), which surveyed its members at end of last year.

… Read More “The public are being “scared” into supporting assisted suicide and euthanasia”
New Report On Elder Abuse In Australia: Implications For Euthanasia.

New Report On Elder Abuse In Australia: Implications For Euthanasia.

by Administrator
This article was published by the Australian Care Alliance on January 12, 2022.

A new report on elder abuse in Australia by L. Qu and colleagues – National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study: Final Report – released in December 2021 points to the prevalence of elder abuse and explains some of the risk factors and the common characteristics of perpetrators.

This information needs to inform any discussion of the risks to elderly people of legalising euthanasia and assistance to suicide, including risks arising from inheritance impatient adult children; psychological and physical abuse from adult children and intimate partners; social isolation and loneliness; failure to report abuse to professionals, including GPs; and the ineffective responses even when abuse is reported to professionals.

… Read More “New Report On Elder Abuse In Australia: Implications For Euthanasia.”
Doctors in Spain are Euthanizing Patients to Harvest Their Organs

Doctors in Spain are Euthanizing Patients to Harvest Their Organs

by Administrator

In my first anti-euthanasia column, written for Newsweek in 1993 I warned that if assisted suicide/euthanasia became legal and normalized, it would lead to “organ harvesting thrown in as a plum to society.” Needless to say, I was called a fear monger, alarmist, and hysteric — and those were the polite hate mailers.

I was also right. Belgium and the Netherlands allow the conjoining of euthanasia and organ donation –including of the mentally ill. So does Canada, our closest cultural cousins, although not yet of the mentally ill. But I am sure that is coming once they too can be given the lethal jab in about a year.

… Read More “Doctors in Spain are Euthanizing Patients to Harvest Their Organs”

Doctors warn that people are being scared into supporting assisted suicide

by Administrator

A new report from the Association of Palliative Medicine (APM) of Great Britain and Ireland is warning that people are being scared into supporting assisted suicide and euthanasia, while the benefits of palliative care and hospice are being ignored.

According to the survey, an incredible 87% of palliative care doctors said the media is not dedicating enough coverage to “good deaths,” instead using fear of a so-called “bad death” to promote assisted suicide. “I wish there would be a lot more publicity and promotion about all the positive experiences of death and dying that occur across the country… most of the time the bad ones hit the news and overshadow all the good work that’s carried out by palliative care teams,” one doctor responded, while another added, “So frequently the press covers deaths which have been awful in some way for the patient or the family – no wonder the public’s perception of death and dying is so
skewed towards the negative.”

… Read More “Doctors warn that people are being scared into supporting assisted suicide”
Canada: Euthanasia is promoted while caring options are not readily available.

Canada: Euthanasia is promoted while caring options are not readily available.

by Administrator
Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Dr John Maher

Dr John Maher, who is a leading psychiatrist and editor-in-chief, of the prestigous Journal of Ethics in Mental Health wrote an excellent analysis of the current euthanasia (MAiD) practise in Canada that was published in the Hamilton Spectator on January 4. Maher examines the current situation through the lens of how Canada got into this situation. Maher writes:

Step 1: Supreme Court Carter decision (2015): Some Canadians with progressively debilitating terminal diseases (like ALS) said they were forced to end their own lives sooner than they would wish because as their disease progressed they wouldn’t be able to physically end their own lives.

… Read More “Canada: Euthanasia is promoted while caring options are not readily available.”
Over 50 People Have Been Euthanized Since Spain Legalized Euthanasia

Over 50 People Have Been Euthanized Since Spain Legalized Euthanasia

by Administrator

An article published by Spark Chronicles indicates that since legalizing euthanasia on June 25, 2021, Spain has had at least 50 euthanasia deaths and 130 requests.

The article states that data from 10 out of the 17 autonomous regions in Spain indicated that the majority of the euthanasia deaths have been for neurodegenerative or oncological diseases and out of 130 known applications, (74%) were approved and approximately half of the applicants died before the euthanasia could be done.

Spain’s euthanasia law is oriented toward approving euthanasia for people with disabilities. Spain approves euthanasia for:

“serious, chronic and debilitating conditions or serious, incurable diseases causing intolerable suffering”

The data confirms my concerns related to euthanasia for people with disabilities.

… Read More “Over 50 People Have Been Euthanized Since Spain Legalized Euthanasia”
Euthanasia group: People must be vaccinated against COVID-19 before we’ll help them die

Euthanasia group: People must be vaccinated against COVID-19 before we’ll help them die

by Administrator

A euthanasia group with locations in both Germany and Switzerland has issued a statement saying that it will only euthanize people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recovered from a recent case of the virus.

“Euthanasia and the preparatory examination of the voluntary responsibility of our members willing to die require human closeness,” reads the statement from Verein Sterbehilfe (Association for Assisted Dying). “Human closeness, however, is a prerequisite and breeding ground for corona virus transmission. As of today, the 2G rule applies in our association, supplemented by situation-related measures, such as quick tests before encounters in closed rooms.”

The 2G rule is the current German policy regarding COVID-19 which states that only vaccinated or recovered individuals be allowed to enter buildings or partake in public events.

… Read More “Euthanasia group: People must be vaccinated against COVID-19 before we’ll help them die”