Delaware makes assisted suicide legal
On May 20th, Democrat Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed House Bill 140 into law, legalizing assisted suicide.
The new law allows patients with terminal illnesses to obtain "medication" to end their own lives. Patients must have a prognosis of six months or less to live and produce letters from two physicians confirming they are of sound mind and have been properly informed of the "risks."
“This signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms without unnecessary pain and surrounded by the people they love the most,” Meyer said at the bill’s signing. “For many of you — many more than me — this has been a long journey. For nearly a decade this idea has been debated and delayed, but always defended by those of you who believed deeply that it was the right thing to do, and it’s because of you that we’re here today and because of that courage I will be signing that bill.”
Delaware joins California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Washington, DC in legalizing assisted suicide. Although the new law does not consider disabilities or mental health conditions as valid justifications for assisted death, critics point out that that may change.
Canada: A case study
Since becoming available to nearly all Canadians in March 2021, Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAiD) program has become a go-to option for doctors recommending "treatment" of citizens who are suffering from various medical conditions. In 2023, 15,280 Canadians died by MAiD, representing about 4.6% of all deaths. Proponents have described the program as a “humane” solution to poverty and an end to discrimination.
Although it was originally approved as an option for patients with terminal illnesses, it is becoming increasingly common for healthcare professionals in Canada to offer MAiD to patients who suffer from non-terminal maladies. Thirty-seven-year-old Kayla Pollock, for example, was twice offered MAiD by hospital staff when she became paralyzed after her COVID-19 Moderna shot. In another case, a man in his late 40s who suffered from a psychiatric condition caused by the COVID-19 vaccine died by assisted suicide. Tracy Polewczuk, who suffers from spina bifida, was twice offered MAiD after she broke her leg. When 52-year-old Christine Gauthier petitioned for a wheelchair lift to be installed in her house, Canada's Veterans Affairs office offered her assisted suicide.
Canada hopes to extend the MAiD program even further. In 2027, people suffering from mental illnesses will be eligible for assisted suicide, and the Quebec College of Physicians has advocated for extending it to deformed or severely ill infants. A parliamentary committee has recommended expanding MAiD to “mature minors.”
The program has even shocked the United Nations, an institution not known for moral clarity. In March, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities said it was “extremely concerned” about Canada’s MAiD program and urged restrictions that limit eligibility to those with terminal conditions.
