Alberta Proposes Bill Limiting Euthanasia to Terminal Patients

(MENAFN) The province of Alberta has introduced legislation aimed at limiting medically assisted dying—also referred to as voluntary euthanasia—to situations where a patient is approaching the end of life.

In 2021, Canada broadened access to medically assisted dying, commonly known as MAID, allowing individuals with serious, incurable illnesses or disabilities to seek the procedure even if their death was not imminent. Plans are also in place to extend MAID to those whose sole medical condition is a mental illness, although this expansion has been delayed twice.

Alberta is the first region in Canada to independently propose restrictions on the practice.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated that MAID should “only be an option for those with no hope of recovery.” She added, “This legislation strengthens safeguards and restores clear limits on eligibility to protect vulnerable Albertans facing mental illness or living with disabilities. Those struggling with severe mental health challenges need treatment, compassion and support, not a path to end their life at what may be their lowest moment.”

The proposed law would prevent doctors from raising MAID with patients on their own initiative, prohibit public promotion of the procedure within healthcare facilities, and enshrine conscience protections for medical professionals and institutions.

While public opinion in Canada generally supports medically assisted dying, there has been extensive debate over the program’s expansion and whether sufficient safeguards exist.

Canada first legalized euthanasia in 2016 for terminally ill patients and later extended it to individuals with serious chronic physical conditions following a court ruling in Quebec.

According to federal data, medically assisted deaths now account for about 5% of all deaths in the country.

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