How Euthanasia Became an Epidemic in Canada | Amanda Achtman

American Thought Leaders

The Epoch Times

Government, News, Politics

4.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 3 September 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In less than a decade, euthanasia has become tied for the fifth leading cause of death in Canada, accounting for one in every 20 deaths since it was first legalized in 2016. Over 60,000 Canadians have died via euthanasia.

“This marks a massive cultural shift in how we live and die in Canada,” says Amanda Achtman, a leading critic of the practice and the founder of the Dying to Meet You Project.

Patients no longer need to be terminally ill to request euthanasia, and there are ongoing debates about whether minors or people with mental illnesses should be able to apply. Disability advocate groups have been some of the leading critics of the program, arguing it sends a disturbing message: that the lives of those who are disabled are worth less.

What are the ethical implications of Canada’s euthanasia program? How is it changing family dynamics, societal norms, the meaning of a life well lived, and the fundamental role of a physician?

Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's the most effed up thing in the world, knowing that your father is going to die in seven days, then five days, then three days, then in 15 minutes.
0:09.0	And that's shattering. That's a loss that is almost impossible to bear because the person has sent the message that they don't love you enough to stay in the world. Euthanasia in Canada now accounts for one in 20 deaths.
0:24.6	This marks a massive cultural shift in how we live and die in Canada.
0:30.6	Amanda Achtman is the founder of Dying to Meet You and a leading advocate against
0:35.6	euthanasia, or what's called in Canada,
0:38.3	medical assistance in dying or made.
0:41.3	Euthanasia is not a declaration of freedom, it's a declaration of defeat.
0:46.3	I have heard from persons with disabilities who say, this is the first thing the government
0:50.3	has told me I'm eligible for.
0:52.3	To be told that you qualify for a
0:55.7	premature death is already killing the person. It already deflates and defeats your sense of worth.
1:03.7	This is American Thought Leaders, and I'm Yanya Kellick.
1:09.3	Amanda Ackman, such a pleasure to have you on American Thought Leaders.
1:12.6	Thanks for having me.
1:14.3	So euthanasia now in Canada has become tied for the number five cause of death, as I've been reading,
1:23.6	or also known as medical assistance in dying or maid.
1:28.4	Chart me what happened here.
1:30.9	In 2016, Canada legalized euthanasia nationwide, and this was in response to a court decision.
1:37.6	And that's largely how the changes have happened, not so much through public conversation,
1:42.6	but through the courts.
1:45.3	And so what happened was the government had a deadline to create a law that essentially legalized euthanasia across the board.
1:51.8	And of course, as it always begins, euthanasia, or as it has become known, medical aid in dying,
	...

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