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Tag: Assisted Dying
February 10, 2026
Health
News

Now Canadian Doctors Want to Euthanize Infants.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Physicians in Quebec, Canada, have suggested extending the country’s euthanasia program to include infants.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Quebec College of Physicians, Canadian lawmakers, and euthanasia prevention advocates.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Canada, ongoing discussions in 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Medical assistance in dying may be an appropriate treatment for babies suffering from extreme pain.” – Quebec College of Physicians

🎯IMPACT: The proposal has reignited the debate over euthanasia laws in Canada becoming a “slippery slope.”

IN FULL

Canada’s so-called medical assistance in dying (MAID) euthanasia program is facing renewed scrutiny after the Quebec College of Physicians suggested it could be extended to infants, supposedly in cases of “extreme” suffering. The organization said, “Medical assistance in dying may be an appropriate treatment for babies suffering from extreme pain,” and proposed that parents be given the option to request the procedure for their child.

The comments have reopened a debate many believed was settled years ago. MAID was legalized in Canada in 2016 and initially restricted to adults with terminal illnesses whose deaths were reasonably foreseeable. Over time, eligibility has expanded to include non-terminal conditions, and the number of assisted deaths has risen steadily. Federal data shows 16,499 MAID deaths were reported in 2024 alone, bringing the cumulative total to 76,475 since legalization. By early 2026, at least 94,000 deaths had occurred under the program, according to Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.

The idea of extending MAID to infants is not new. In 2022, Dr. Louis Roy of the Quebec College of Physicians testified before Parliament’s Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying that the program could apply to “babies from birth to one year of age” with severe deformities or disabilities.

The issue resurfaced last fall after attracting international attention. A feature in The Atlantic titled “Canada is Killing Itself” compared aspects of Canada’s euthanasia policies to historical practices in Nazi Germany, prompting backlash from euthanasia advocates and intensifying public debate.

MAID has also drawn controversy beyond the infanticide proposal. Reports have highlighted cases involving organ donation following euthanasia and allegations that safeguards have failed vulnerable individuals. In one recent case, the mother of a 26-year-old man claimed her son, who was physically healthy but suffered from depression, was euthanized under MAID, despite federal plans to delay eligibility for mental illness alone.

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December 16, 2025
Bonkers Britain
News

Lawmaker Pushes to Legalize Euthanasia for Pregnant Women.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A lawmaker for Britain’s governing Labour Party has stated that pregnancy should not prevent a woman from accessing “assisted dying” under proposed euthanasia legislation.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Lord Charles Falconer and members of the House of Lords.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The debate occurred during the committee stage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the House of Lords earlier this month.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It is clear from the choice that I am supporting that we take the view that pregnancy should not be a bar to [euthanasia].” – Lord Falconer

🎯IMPACT: The debate highlights significant ethical and legal concerns regarding euthanasia, particularly in cases involving pregnancy.

IN FULL

A lawmaker for Britain’s governing Labour Party is arguing that pregnancy should not prevent a woman from being euthanized by the state, despite her child also being killed by the process. Lord Charles Falconer, a former Secretary of State for Justice under close personal friend Tony Blair, told the House of Lords that pregnancy should not automatically prevent a woman from accessing so-called “assisted dying” under Britain‘s proposed euthanasia legislation, as peers continue detailed scrutiny of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Speaking during committee stage debates on amendments, Lord Falconer responded to concerns raised by another peer about how assisted suicide laws deal with pregnancy in other countries. Oregon was cited as requiring efforts to keep the mother alive if the unborn child is “viable,” while the Netherlands allows for aborting babies before euthanizing their mothers. Lord Falconer made clear that the approach he supports would not treat pregnancy as an exclusion. “It is clear from the choice that I am supporting that we take the view that pregnancy should not be a bar to it,” he said.

Euthanasia remains illegal throughout the United Kingdom under the Suicide Act 1961, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. However, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced as a Private Members’ Bill, has passed key votes in 2024 and 2025. If it becomes law, it would permit assisted suicide in England and Wales for terminally ill adults expected to live six months or less, subject to court approval.

The debate has drawn attention to international experiences with assisted suicide. In Canada, so-called medical assistance in dying (MAiD) has expanded significantly since its introduction in 2016. Government data indicate that by the end of 2025, the cumulative number of Canadians who have been killed through MAiD could approach 100,000, with the practice accounting for roughly five percent of all deaths nationwide. Eligibility has broadened over time, and critics argue that the rapid growth endangers vulnerable people, particularly those with disabilities or limited access to care.

Canada’s program has also been linked to organ harvesting. Reports indicate that hundreds of MAiD patients have donated organs following euthanization, with a small but notable share of deceased-donor transplants now involving individuals who died under the program. Supporters see this as a benefit to transplant recipients, while opponents warn of ethical risks.

Image by Mp3juicecon.

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October 14, 2025
William Upton
Health
Science

Canada’s Slippery Slope: Assisted Suicide Expands Into Organ Harvesting.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A 38-year-old Canadian man with Lou Gehrig’s disease was euthanized under Canada’s MAID program and his heart transplanted into a 59-year-old man in Pittsburgh—raising concerns that patients may be pressured into euthanasia by medical professionals looking to harvest their healthy organs.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The euthanized donor was a 38-year-old Canadian; the recipient was a 59-year-old man from Pittsburgh.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The euthanization happened in Canada in September, with the transplant conducted in Pittsburgh.

💬KEY QUOTE: “With the development of biotechnology, human organs can be continuously transplanted, and people can live longer and longer, and even achieve immortality.” — Chinese President Xi Jinping

🎯IMPACT: The incident raises ethical concerns about increased pressure on vulnerable people to choose euthanasia.

IN FULL

Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) euthanasia program is running headlong into a multitude of ethical concerns, including broader controversies surrounding organ harvesting. Investigations in the United States by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)—a subagency of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—have found over the past several years that some patients may not have been legally deceased when organ retrieval was initiated.

In at least 28 cases reviewed by the HRSA, patients showed neurological signs inconsistent with brain death at the start of procurement. In Canada, the MAiD law is raising further concerns that patients may be pressured into euthanasia by medical professionals looking to harvest their healthy organs.

One of the more high-profile Canadian cases involves a 38-year-old man with Lou Gehrig’s disease who was euthanized in September. His heart was subsequently transplanted into a 59-year-old man from Pittsburgh, who had congestive heart failure. The donor heart was harvested and attached to a machine to keep it viable, and then sent to Pittsburgh for the transplant. This procedure has been described as the “ultimate act of altruism,” though it raises substantial ethical concerns.

Critics argue that such practices could result in pressure on vulnerable people to choose euthanasia, especially if they know their organs could benefit others. The potential for coercion is a significant worry as the scope of who qualifies for assisted suicide continues to expand in Canada.

Canada’s assisted suicide law, enacted in 2016, has led to a growing number of deaths attributed to MAiD, with nearly five percent of all deaths in the country in 2023 falling under this category. The practice, once limited to terminally ill patients, now includes those with serious but non-life-threatening conditions. The law’s expansion to include people with mental illness further complicates the ethical landscape.

Disturbingly, The National Pulse reported in early September that Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and North Korean autocrat Kim Jong-Un were caught on hot mic during an event in Beijing discussing how harvesting organs could be used to prolong their lives to 150 years.

“With the development of biotechnology, human organs can be continuously transplanted, and people can live longer and longer, and even achieve immortality,” Xi said.

Image by World Economic Forum / Sandra Blaser.

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world health org parliament
November 29, 2024
UK

UK Parliament Votes in Favor of State-Sanctioned ‘Assisted Dying,’ With One Major Opponent…

Lawmakers in the United Kingdom took a major step towards permitting the euphemistically named “assisted dying,” also known as state-sanctioned suicide or euthanasia, for terminally ill patients in England and Wales. The proposal passed in the House of Commons with a vote tally of 330 in favor and 275 against after extensive deliberations lasting five hours.

The proposed legislation has been the topic of much public debate in the UK and allows doctors to aid patients who are over the age of 18, diagnosed with a terminal illness, and estimated to have six months or less to live in ending their own lives. The decision would require approval from two doctors as well as a judge, with patients required to self-administer the drugs.

The bill will now undergo more scrutiny in parliamentary committees where further amendments may arise. Even advocates of the measure admit it parallels other major social changes in the UK’s history, such as the legalization of abortion in 1967 and the abolition of the death penalty in 1969.

This development places the UK alongside several other jurisdictions where state-sanctioned suicide is already recognized. These include several European nations, Canada, New Zealand, and certain parts of the United States, including 10 states and Washington, D.C.

One major opponent of the legislation is Reform UK Party leader Nigel Farage, who tweeted on Friday: “I voted against the assisted dying bill, not out of a lack of compassion but because I fear that the law will widen in scope. If that happens, the right to die may become the obligation to die.”

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Lawmakers in the United Kingdom took a major step towards permitting the euphemistically named "assisted dying," also known as state-sanctioned suicide or euthanasia, for terminally ill patients in England and Wales. The proposal passed in the House of Commons with a vote tally of 330 in favor and 275 against after extensive deliberations lasting five hours. show more
June 18, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Health
UK

British PM Rishi Sunak Says He’s ‘Not Against’ Legalizing Euthanasia.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is “not against” legalizing euthanasia “in principle.” The Conservative leader, facing a historic defeat in the snap election on July 4, says it is “just a question of having the safeguards in place, and that’s where people have had questions in the past.”

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, projected to replace Sunak after the upcoming election, has pledged to legalize euthanasia, now rebranded “assisted dying” from the previous “assisted suicide” rebrand. However, his party election manifesto does not include the contentious policy.

Sir Keir cast a vote in favor of legalizing euthanasia in 2015, but the bill failed 330 to 118. Wes Streeting, Sir Keir’s Shadow Health Secretary, also cast a vote for the 2015 bill. This year, Streeting said he “sort of lean[s] towards” legalizing euthanasia, provided he has “reassurance that no one would feel coerced into ending their life sooner, that no doctor would be coerced or forced to take part in ending someone’s life in that way.”

SLIPPERY SLOPE. 

Doctors and midwives in Britain have a “conscientious objection” opt-out from aborting babies. However, this has been undermined by the Supreme Court created by Tony Blair in 2009. While clinicians are not forced to take a “hands-on” role in abortions, justices insist they can be forced to supervise abortionists and book women in for terminations.

Western nations that have legalized euthanasia, such as the Netherlands, Belgium, and Canada, are rapidly expanding their scope beyond a handful of terminally ill people.

Canadian doctors have approved “medical assistance in dying,” or “Maid,” for people facing financial difficulties.

Dutch doctors are euthanizing healthy young people who complain of depression.

Belgian doctors have even euthanized a 23-year-old woman complaining of trauma after she was caught up in an Islamist terror attack in Brussels as a minor—though she was physically unharmed.

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is "not against" legalizing euthanasia "in principle." The Conservative leader, facing a historic defeat in the snap election on July 4, says it is "just a question of having the safeguards in place, and that’s where people have had questions in the past." show more