Euthanasia is now the fifth leading cause of death in Canada
The Daily Article
The Denison Forum
4.9 • 576 Ratings
🗓️ 18 December 2024
⏱️ 8 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Canada recently released its updated statistics for how many people died last year from physician-assisted suicide, and the numbers continue an alarming trend. Canada is by no means the only country with legal euthanasia, but it is the country where the greatest number of people have chosen to end their lives through some form of physician-assisted suicide. Why do assisted suicide laws seem to be growing in popularity? And what steps, if any, are being taken to guard against abuses? A telling answer to both questions is found in the UK’s move to pass similar legislation, though with one key difference that speaks to a principle that applies to all of our sin natures.
About Denison Forum and The Daily Article
Today's Daily Article was written by Dr. Ryan Denison and narrated by Chris Elkins. You can read this article on our website. You may also receive it in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter.
NOTE: Denison Forum is a fully donor-funded nonprofit ministry. To support our calling, please donate today.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | It's Wednesday, December the 18th, 2024. Welcome to the Daily Article podcast. I'm Chris Elkins with the Denison Forum, narrating today's daily article, written by our senior editor for Theology, Dr. Ryan Denison. |
| 0:18.7 | Canada recently released its updated statistics for how many people died last year from |
| 0:24.9 | physician-assisted suicide, and the numbers continue an alarming trend. The country's medical |
| 0:31.1 | assistance in dying, the acronym Made program, was used by roughly 15,300 people to end their own lives. That makes it |
| 0:41.6 | the fifth leading cause of death in 2023 and represents a 16% increase over the previous |
| 0:49.0 | year. However, considering that 2022 saw an increase of 31%, I suppose you could say it's an improvement |
| 0:57.5 | in some respects. But while Canada is the country where the greatest number of people have |
| 1:02.8 | chosen to end their lives through some form of physician-assisted suicide, they are far from |
| 1:08.4 | the only place where a form of this procedure is legal. The United Kingdom, |
| 1:13.0 | for example, took steps recently to join that list and will be discussed at greater length in this |
| 1:18.7 | podcast. However, Canada's made laws are among the least restrictive you're likely to find. While the premise |
| 1:26.1 | behind most physician-assisted suicide programs is |
| 1:29.3 | ostensibly to help facilitate a more peaceful end for those who are already on death's doorstep, |
| 1:35.3 | that's not always the way it plays out in practice. The government in Quebec recently began |
| 1:40.3 | allowing individuals to request euthanasia in advance when diagnosed with a potentially |
| 1:46.9 | terminal illness. Efforts to extend access to people with mental illness have encountered more |
| 1:52.7 | resistance than expected, but the rationale is that the country's health care system is, quote, |
| 1:57.9 | unquote, not ready, rather than their inclusion would be wrong on the merits. |
| 2:03.1 | And in Alberta, a judge ruled earlier this year that an autistic woman could end her life |
| 2:09.4 | despite efforts from her family to keep her from doing so. |
| 2:12.9 | The last case in particular could be part of why the provincial government in Alberta recently |
| 2:19.2 | announced that they are looking for citizen input regarding potential changes to the way |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Denison Forum, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Denison Forum and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.