Canada's euthanasia crisis: Prisoners, despair and a rapidly expanding death program
By bellecarter // 2025-12-12
Copy
 
  • Since legalization in 2016, Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program has become the fastest-growing cause of death, surging from 10,064 deaths (3.1% of all deaths) in 2021 to 13,241 (31.2% increase) in 2022—now the sixth leading cause of death, though Statistics Canada excludes it from official mortality rankings.
  • At least 15 federal inmates have died by euthanasia since 2018, with 67 total requests—exposing systemic neglect and lack of rehabilitation options in prisons, where vulnerable individuals may be pressured into choosing death.
  • Initially marketed for the terminally ill, MAiD now covers chronic illness, mental health conditions and poverty-driven despair, transforming into a "Band-Aid solution" for Canada's failing healthcare system (average wait times: 27.7 weeks) and crumbling social safety net.
  • Doctors report being pressured to present MAiD as a standard "care option," even when unethical, while patients—including the disabled, veterans and low-income individuals—are steered toward euthanasia due to lack of treatment or support.
  • Critics accuse the government of obscuring MAiD’s scale by attributing deaths to underlying illnesses. With over 90,000 MAiD deaths since 2016 and lobbyists pushing to expand eligibility to minors, Canada faces a crisis of normalizing death over care.
Since Canada legalized euthanasia in 2016 under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, deaths by Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) have surged at an alarming rate—becoming the fastest-growing cause of death in the country. Now, even federal inmates are opting for state-sanctioned suicide, with at least 15 prisoners dying by MAiD since 2018, according to newly released Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) records. The data, obtained through an Order Paper response, reveals that 67 inmates have requested euthanasia, with numbers rising sharply in recent years. While the records do not disclose the prisoners' genders, locations, or reasons for seeking MAiD, the trend highlights a disturbing reality: Canada's failing healthcare system and expanding euthanasia regime are pushing vulnerable populations—including the disabled, mentally ill and incarcerated—toward premature death.

A system that encourages death over care

Canada's MAiD program was initially marketed as a compassionate option for the terminally ill. But its rapid expansion—now covering chronic illness, mental health conditions and even poverty-driven despair—has turned it into a grim alternative for those failed by the country's crumbling social safety net. According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, MAiD accounted for 3.1% of all Canadian deaths (10,064 cases) in 2021. By 2022, that number jumped to 13,241—a 31.2% increase in just one year. Today, euthanasia is Canada's sixth-leading cause of death, though Statistics Canada controversially excludes it from official mortality rankings, citing underlying illnesses as the primary cause rather than the lethal injection itself. "The government is essentially hiding the true scale of this crisis," said Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. "People aren't choosing MAiD because they want to die—they're choosing it because they've been abandoned by the system."

Prisoners dying behind bars

The revelation that inmates are accessing MAiD adds another layer to Canada's euthanasia crisis. At least 15 federal prisoners have died by assisted suicide since 2018, with four deaths occurring in 2024 alone. While CSC has not disclosed whether these cases fell under Track 1 (terminal illness) or Track 2 (non-terminal suffering), advocates warn that incarcerated individuals—already vulnerable to poor healthcare and mental health struggles—may be pressured into choosing death over rehabilitation. "Prisons are supposed to rehabilitate, not facilitate suicide," said Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu, whose private member's bill seeks to ban MAiD for mental illness. "When inmates see no hope for treatment or parole, euthanasia becomes an escape hatch for systemic neglect." The Trudeau government had planned to expand MAiD eligibility to those suffering solely from mental illness in 2023, but public backlash forced a delay until 2027. However, under Prime Minister Mark Carney's administration, Canada's euthanasia regime remains intact—and growing.

A culture of coercion?

Physicians across Canada report being pressured to suggest MAiD as a "treatment option," even when it contradicts their ethical judgment. Health Canada's 2023 guidelines require doctors to present euthanasia as a standard "care option," raising concerns that patients—especially those facing financial hardship or long wait times for medical care—are being steered toward death. With average healthcare wait times at 27.7 weeks, some patients see MAiD as their only escape from suffering. Stories abound of disabled individuals denied housing support, veterans offered euthanasia instead of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment and low-income Canadians choosing death over unaffordable living costs. "The system is broken, and MAiD has become the government's Band-Aid solution," said Dr. Ramona Coelho, a physician advocating for safeguards. "Instead of fixing healthcare, they're offering death as a cure for despair." Canada's euthanasia experiment has spiraled far beyond its original intent, transforming from a last-resort option for the terminally ill into a rapidly expanding death program affecting prisoners, the mentally ill and those failed by social services. With MAiD deaths now surpassing 90,000 since 2016—and lobbyists pushing to extend it to minors—the country faces a moral reckoning. As deaths continue to rise, critics warn that Canada is normalizing euthanasia as a substitute for care, leaving the most vulnerable with fewer choices—and fewer reasons to live. Watch the video below that talks about MAiD, Canada's euthanasia scheme for depopulation. This video is from Tim Truth's channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com OurCommons.ca BrightU.ai Brighteon.com
Copy