Euthanasia generally involves a health practitioner administering a lethal dose to intentionally end a person’s life, usually in the form of a lethal injection.
Euthanasia is different from assisted suicide, in that assisted suicide involves the person ending their own life administering a lethal dose themselves, whereas euthanasia usually involves a health practitioner administering a lethal dose.
Assisted suicide is legal in a handful of jurisdictions globally including Holland, Belgium, Canada, Colombia and Luxembourg.
Right To Life UK campaigns against any attempt to legalise such euthanasia, and for the development of palliative care services and end of life care that remove any perceived need for euthanasia.
Canada sees 32% increase in assisted suicide and euthanasia in one year
In 2021, the number of people who ended their lives by assisted suicide and euthanasia increased by over 32% from the previous year, accounting for 3.3% of all deaths in Canada. According to the latest report on Medical Assistance in Dying from Health Canada,...
Assisted suicide ‘ceremony’ held in Canadian church sanctuary
A Canadian church has hosted an assisted suicide ceremony for one of its members.. The Churchill Park United Church of Winnipeg held what it described as a “Crossing Over Ceremony” in which an 86 year old, Betty Sanguin, ended her life through an assisted suicide in...
Canadian man applies for euthanasia because of ‘eco-anxiety’
A man suffering from 'eco-anxiety' has applied for euthanasia in Canada. Howard Breen, 68, who lives in Vancouver, is not terminally ill but is experiencing extreme mental suffering because of his concerns about climate change. He told Vice: “It becomes debilitating....
Italy: Assisted suicide referendum blocked by Constitutional Court
The Constitutional Court in Italy has blocked a referendum seeking to make assisted suicide legal because it would remove protections for the weak and the vulnerable. On 15 February, the Constitutional Court said it “deemed the referendum question inadmissible”...
Canada: Euthanasia and assisted suicide to be permitted on the grounds of mental illness
The Canadian Government is planning to allow assisted suicide and euthanasia on the grounds of mental illness alone and has calculated that these deaths would save the taxpayer money. In 2021, the Canadian Parliament removed the requirement that the death of an...
Ontario sees over 30% increase in euthanasia deaths in 2021 compared to the previous year
The number of deaths by euthanasia in Ontario, Canada increased by over 30% in 2021 compared to the previous year. According to data released by the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario, there were 3,102 deaths by euthanasia in the province in 2021 compared to 2,378...
