Discussion Why does Canada have MAID but not USA?

[katara]

MAID aka euthanasia

 

[NearlyIrrelevantCake]

Because they passed a law regarding it.

Hope that helps.

 

[gottacheckout]

Oregon passed assisted suicide years ago, they were the first state. There are several others that have followed. Fwiw, Oregon no longer requires a person to be a resident to sell assistance. You do have to qualify just like everyone else.

 

[Pale_Rider]

Im going to give my age away a little bit here, but I remember Dr Kevorkian AKA Dr death. He went to prison. Maybe that scared the hell out of people? IDK really. Just a thought. I do know none of those assisted suicide laws would help the vast majority of users on this site.

 

[brokenspirited]

Actually not true. The US of A has it legalized on the state level rather than on the federal level.

 

[amerie]

I know in my state they have it, I think the criteria is really strict though.

 

[TBONTB]

11 US states have MAID. Generally it requires 2 physicians to certify a person is terminally ill and within 6 months of death. When it's used it's often for cancer patients.

I think Canada recently took away the limitation of needing to be within six months of death, which changes the nature of it a lot. There's been some press.

Actually not true. The US of A has it legalized on the state level rather than on the federal level.
View attachment 173525

Oh, better answer than mine. Thanks.

 

[gottacheckout]

My dad did it in Washington and it went really well. The only issue was getting the meds, there was only 1 pharmacist willing to do it at the time and he drove around the state selling them. I kid you not, it was a cash only deal and we met at a McDonald's just off the freeway. It really felt like an illicit drug deal, we were expecting the cops to show up.

The nurse from hospice mixed the "slurry" and handed it to me and then left the room at my request. I handed it to my dad who drank it. I sat on his bed and held him in my arms. A few minutes later he closed his eyes and shortly after he took his last breath. I made sure he was gone and then had the nurse come in and call him deceased.

My dad was really concerned about it not working, Washington had recently passed the law and there were cases where the person the up and didn't die. I assured my dad that once he took the medicine he will not wake up. I had three syringes full in his dresser drawer, each had enough to do the job.

When Oregon passed the law I voted for it and having it do close to me definitely tested my values.

 

[Kali_Yuga13]

Anyone from Canada in this thread that can give insight? I recently read how some guy's grandfather, father and uncle got MAiD for whatever reasons. I also saw a special about a handicapped guy whose rental was being sold and he feared not being able to make it in the street so he applied for MAiD. I've also heard of MAiD being offered proactively like "oh, you have a headache? Perhaps you should consider MAiD!" lol Are they really that liberal with it?

US Death With Dignity requires two doctors to sign off on the patient having 6 months or less to live and arguably ow quality of life. There's no mental heath clause as of yet.

I wonder how this is going to play out as the "Elites want to extinct us so robots and AI can do our jobs" is a meme in the conspiracy genre of media. Canada is seen as going full blown Logan's Run. Personally I have qualms with going out on the approved terms of the same system that maneuvered the scenario of life sucking in many ways to begin with.

but I remember Dr Kevorkian AKA Dr death

Ahh I remember him too! Interviews with the eccentric doctor on tv and all the fuss. I finally got around to reading his book "Final Exit a couple years ago and it's pretty good.

 

[katara]

I know in my state they have it, I think the criteria is really strict though.

Ya that's what I was thinking, for old people only I assume.

 

[-Link-]

Anyone from Canada in this thread that can give insight? I recently read how some guy's grandfather, father and uncle got MAiD for whatever reasons. I also saw a special about a handicapped guy whose rental was being sold and he feared not being able to make it in the street so he applied for MAiD. I've also heard of MAiD being offered proactively like "oh, you have a headache? Perhaps you should consider MAiD!" lol Are they really that liberal with it?

In Canada, MAID was originally only available to the terminally ill ("reasonably foreseeable death").

In September 2019, a provincial court (Quebec) ruled this restriction unconstitutional, and the Government of Canada did not appeal this decision.

In March 2021, Canada amended the law to include criteria for people with non-terminal illness. The amended law allows MAID for people with non-terminal physical health conditions as long as it's approved by two doctors, but it specifically excludes people whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness.

But for a time after the Quebec ruling and leading up to March 2021, it was possible for anybody (including the mentally ill) to access MAID as long as they had doctors sign off on it on the basis of a "grievous and irremediable medical condition" with "enduring and intolerable suffering". I'm not sure how often it was used this way because it would have required all involved parties to be aware of and buy into the Quebec precedent which was never actually tested in our court system. I do recall a few cases in the media in which poverty was cited as a factor. Officially, though, those cases would have been approved based on a health condition, even if poverty was the actual driving factor.

That legal loophole has been closed for 4+ years, and we still have progress to make, especially on the basis of mental illness.

 

[Kali_Yuga13]

That legal loophole has been closed for 4+ years, and we still have progress to make, especially on the basis of mental illness.

I guess some of the more sensational news stories came out during the time of the loophole. Than you for explaining that.

 

[Manfrotto99]

It sucks how mental illness is not recognised. It's still can be unbearable pain and suffering none the less that can kill us in many ways other than physical. Still we do not even have assisted dying at all where I live.

 

[Ligottian]

I'm sure the influence of the Christian evangelicals in the US has something to do with it.

 

[Bootleg Astolfo]

If you were canadian, your first instinct would be ''these idiots are so incompetent theyre going to somehow fail at killing me''. Unless their goal isnt to kill you, they won't do it properly. In soviet Québec, they'll probably somehow manage to turn you into an actual maid instead.

 

[Kali_Yuga13]

My dad did it in Washington and it went really well.

My condolences. I applaud your courage to bear witness to his passing and be present for him.

 

[katara]

It sucks how mental illness is not recognised. It's still can be unbearable pain and suffering none the less that can kill us in many ways other than physical. Still we do not even have assisted dying at all where I live.

I'm wondering why there's been no petition for it. It would be interesting to see if they'd allow it.

 

[Nightfoot]

Canadians seem to be more empathetic.

 

[katara]

Canadians seem to be more empathetic.

Do u think? I think it's just that USA has more religious lunatics. Whether it's Mormons or Christians. I wonder if anyone's ever made a petition or anything to normalize maid in USA. I haven't seen anything.

 

[QuincyME]

Im going to give my age away a little bit here, but I remember Dr Kevorkian AKA Dr death. He went to prison. Maybe that scared the hell out of people? IDK really. Just a thought. I do know none of those assisted suicide laws would help the vast majority of users on this site.

I watched a couple of interviews with him earlier this evening. He was way ahead of the curve with assisted suicide. It's disgusting the way the vilified him. He helped a lot of people end their needless pain and suffering.

 

[Aiyuxiao]

Unfortunately, in the USA, you have to be terminally ill and dying within 6 months to qualify for euthanasia. :/

Even those with painful chronic illnesses or chronic pain don't qualify. And I have learned from support groups I attended, that those with chronic physical conditions die by suicide a lot. And it's a silent epidemic no one talks about. :/

 

[lament.]

In Canada, MAID was originally only available to the terminally ill ("reasonably foreseeable death").

In September 2019, a provincial court (Quebec) ruled this restriction unconstitutional, and the Government of Canada did not appeal this decision.

In March 2021, Canada amended the law to include criteria for people with non-terminal illness. The amended law allows MAID for people with non-terminal physical health conditions as long as it's approved by two doctors, but it specifically excludes people whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness.

But for a time after the Quebec ruling and leading up to March 2021, it was possible for anybody (including the mentally ill) to access MAID as long as they had doctors sign off on it on the basis of a "grievous and irremediable medical condition" with "enduring and intolerable suffering". I'm not sure how often it was used this way because it would have required all involved parties to be aware of and buy into the Quebec precedent which was never actually tested in our court system. I do recall a few cases in the media in which poverty was cited as a factor. Officially, though, those cases would have been approved based on a health condition, even if poverty was the actual driving factor.

That legal loophole has been closed for 4+ years, and we still have progress to make, especially on the basis of mental illness.

Damn. I'm pretty sure I'd meet the current requirements for Canadian MAID if there's nothing about age in there, hopefully in the near future the UK will copy them or something.

 

[-Link-]

Damn. I'm pretty sure I'd meet the current requirements for Canadian MAID if there's nothing about age in there, hopefully in the near future the UK will copy them or something.

The only age requirement for MAID in Canada is that the applicant is 18+. The government has been "doing research" about extending it to minors, but they've been "researching" this for almost a decade. Currently, even if a minor is terminally ill, they cannot apply for assisted dying in Canada, and I would not expect this to change any time soon. (Minors can be allowed to refuse treatment, though.)

While anyone 18+ can legally apply for MAID, a young age could make it more difficult to convince doctors to approve a non-terminal case. Especially if/when people get assessed on the basis of mental illness.

It sucks how mental illness is not recognised.

I'm wondering why there's been no petition for it. It would be interesting to see if they'd allow it.

In Canada, MAID "might" become available to the mentally ill in March 2027.

When the MAID legislation was updated in March 2021, it was written in a way that the prohibition against mental illness would expire in March 2023. But then the government introduced legislation to extend the prohibition until March 2024. And then they introduced legislation to extend the prohibition again, this time to March 2027. Their reasoning is/was tantamount to, "We're not ready yet."

So maybe it becomes available in March 2027, or maybe they wind up delaying again.

But there's also two court cases that were launched in Summer 2024, both of them in the province of Ontario, and both of them making constitutional challenges against the current MAID legislation. One of those cases wants to roll back MAID in such a way that it once again gets restricted to the terminally ill. The other case wants MAID expanded to include the mentally ill. It'll take a few years, but these cases will eventually make it to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Supreme Court of Canada has only ever ruled on MAID with regard to the terminally ill. It's never assessed MAID for the non-terminally ill or for those with mental illness.

Basically, something is going to 'give' within the next few years, either by the government acting on its own accord, or by the Supreme Court forcing the government's hand. Most legal experts agree that the mental illness exclusion is unconstitutional and thus would not survive a Supreme Court challenge, although the possibility does exist that they'd rule against us.

 

[r.m.216]

Maid is responsible for 5 percent of Canadian deaths now. Those numbers plus suicide plus those who are unable.. how many people are fucking miserable with this place?

 

[katara]

Maid is responsible for 5 percent of Canadian deaths now. Those numbers plus suicide plus those who are unable.. how many people are fucking miserable with this place?

Idk but I'm miserable too. I can't even remember how I got to where I am. I am in my 20s and have the brain of someone who's like 60. I have memory problems. And I have no support system. This is hell.