Canada’s euthanasia regime, already the fastest-expanding in the world, is now facing a new and explosive demand for the government to extend state-sanctioned “assisted suicide” to children.
Less than a decade after Canada legalized Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), what began in 2016 as a narrow program reserved for adults whose natural deaths were “reasonably foreseeable” has ballooned into one of the broadest euthanasia systems on the planet.
Chronic illness, disability, and even mental health conditions have all been added to the eligibility list, driving MAiD deaths to unprecedented levels.
Now, advocacy groups are openly pressuring the federal government to allow minors, including those as young as 12 years old, to qualify for doctor-administered euthanasia.
Push to Euthanize 12-Year-Olds with State-Funded Lethal Injections
“Dying With Dignity Canada,” one of the nation’s most influential pro-euthanasia organizations, has issued recommendations calling for so-called “mature minors” to be included in MAiD.
Their proposal goes even further and argues that 16- and 17-year-olds should be euthanized with lethal injections without parental consent if they meet broad eligibility criteria.
The group insists that “maturity,” not age, should determine whether a child can be killed by a medical professional.
Critics say the proposals confirm the very warnings dismissed as “fearmongering” when MAiD was introduced.
“A Gruesome, Relentless Logic”
Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, a psychiatrist and leading medical ethicist, warned that the slippery slope argument has proven alarmingly accurate.
“There is a kind of gruesome, relentless logic at work here, and this is why the logical ‘slippery slope’ argument is a valid argument,” Kheriaty said in response to the push.
“Once you cross the line of allowing doctors to kill patients … then it’s very hard to argue that there should be any limitations.”
Kheriaty said he once believed child euthanasia was too extreme to become mainstream policy.
He no longer believes that, saying:
“A few years ago, I would’ve said, ‘No, I don’t think the Canadian regime is going to go that far…’
“But now, I’m sad to say I wouldn’t put it past them.”
MAiD Now One of Canada’s Leading Causes of Death
Euthanasia in Canada has surged every year since 2016, dramatically so after the 2021 expansion allowing people with chronic illnesses or disabilities to be killed even when they are not terminally ill.
More than 15,000 Canadians died by MAiD in 2023, representing 4.7% of all deaths nationwide.
Roughly 1 in every 20 deaths in Canada now comes from doctor-administered suicide under the nation’s socialized healthcare system.
With mental illness scheduled to become an official standalone eligibility category in 2027, the pool could grow even larger.
But Kheriaty says doctors are already euthanizing people solely for psychiatric reasons.
“There have been at least a few cases,” he said.
“I remember one case of… a woman in her twenties whose sole diagnosis was autism and ADHD.
“Even if it’s not officially legalized … clearly that’s been happening already.”
Underlying Drivers: Fear, Pressure, and Abandonment
Kheriaty says many patients who choose MAiD fear becoming a psychological, financial, or caregiving burden.
And instead of countering those fears with support, too many in the medical system now default to offering death.
“We have to respond by saying, ‘No, it’s a privilege to care for you,’” Kheriaty said.
“It’s a privilege to walk with you through what might be the final stage of your life.”
“Assisted suicide is both dangerous and inhumane… it abandons vulnerable patients who need help.”
A System Spiraling Further Each Year
Canada has already expanded MAiD 13-fold since legalization.
Attempts to halt further expansion, particularly to minors and those with mental illness, have repeatedly failed, despite opposition from mental health advocates, disability communities, and multiple provincial governments.
Advocates for child euthanasia insist they are promoting “compassion” and “autonomy.”
Opponents warn that the country is normalizing the elimination of people who need care, not killing, and now, children may be next.
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