Despite the fact that California and Canada have the same population - about 39 million people, and legislated a euthanasia law at around the same time (2015 and 2016 respectively), the number of cases of assisted death in Canada is much higher. While California's cases amounted to 853 in 2022, Canada's total stood at 13,241 cases.
In 2021, 486 people in California chose assisted death compared to 10,064 in Canada. In 2022, 853 Californians chose to end their life compared to 13,241 in Canada. Recently, Canada expanded the law to include patients suffering from chronic pain but not expected to die soon, as well as patients with mental disorders. A father of an autistic woman from Calgary filed an appeal to cease her approved assisted death but recently withdrew his appeal after his daughter decided to starve herself.
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he number of cases of assisted death in Canada is 15 times higher than California, which has the same population
(Photo: Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP)
The law receives much criticism in Canada, some saying the government is "encouraging" citizens to die. Many claim that including mentally ill patients undermines suicide prevention efforts. Family members of those who received approval for assisted death due to mental disorders are frustrated by Canada's ease in approving assistance in ending their lives.
In a new study, researchers examined 10 hypotheses that may explain the significant difference in euthanasia cases between Canada and California. Peter Reiner, professor emeritus of brain sciences and neuroethics at the University of British Columbia, and his collaborator Adrian Byram examined 556 adults (228 in each country) age 60 and over, the age group responsible for the majority of requests for euthanasia. Only 25% of Californians said they were aware they had this option compared to 67% of Canadians. The data "represent fairly strong evidence" that greater public awareness of the law is an important factor, if not the driving factor, behind the disparities between the states, Reiner wrote.
In Canada, every local and regional health authority makes access to assisted death easy and straightforward and it is offered to anyone suffering from a terminal illness, chronic illness or mental health problems. Information is available on websites, and there are teams to assist patients through the process, assistance that is not available in California.
Some Canadians believe that "encouragement" of residents to choose assisted death stems from a failing health care system. Patients are forced to wait months or even years to see a doctor, including those suffering from serious illnesses in need of immediate medical treatment.
The network is full of stories of Canadians who died after failing to receive proper medical treatment and had to wait as long as five years to receive necessary medical care. Many complain that they do not have a family doctor and have been on the waiting list for years. In November, a 23-year-old woman from Vancouver died after being misdiagnosed with blood poisoning. Her mother, Melanie U., says she is disappointed with the failing health care system that led to her daughter's death.
Sophia was on the family doctor waiting list for three years. Without a family doctor to see her, she had to stand in line at the clinic for emergency treatment at 5 a.m. among many people. Each time she had to return home after hours of waiting in line after being told that the doctor no longer accepts more patients. As her condition worsened, her panicked mother took her to the emergency room.
Alexander Ross, whose nephew died after contracting cancer and was diagnosed only a year after he started complaining of symptoms, said: "By the time he was diagnosed, it was too late and was defined as terminal. For a year we begged to see a doctor and were on the waiting list, we called anyone possible, nothing helped. The doctor said it was a pity he wasn't diagnosed earlier because he could have been saved. At this stage, they offered him assisted death because he was suffering greatly."
David agreed to receive the injection that would end his life a few months later. "What's the wonder that Canada is so happy to offer patients the death injection? The fewer patients in the health care system, the less burden," says Alexander. "My son may have had cancer, but what really killed him was the Canadian health care system."