The expansion of assisted suicide in Canada

In 2023, Canadians will be able to apply for a medically assisted death, also known in the country as medical assistance in dying (MAID), if they are suffering from mental health problems as their sole condition. Years after assisted dying legislation was first approved, it has been expanded to include those who do not have a “reasonably foreseeable” death. The recent changes have caused concerns for rights groups and mental health advocates in Canada, one of just a few countries where euthanasia is legal. The Take asks what is at stake and looks at the taboos that still remain around conversations about death.

In this episode: 

• Bill Kaufmann (@BillKaufmannjrn), Reporter, Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun
• Lori Weber, Children's book author, “The Ribbon Leaf”
• Cheryl Romaire (@CherylRomaire), healthcare and MAID advocate
• Mark Henick (@markhenick), Author, “So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience”

Episode credits: 

This episode was produced by Ruby Zaman with our host, Halla Mohieddeen It was fact-checked by Chloe K. Li.

Our production team includes Chloe K. Li, Alexandra Locke, Ashish Malhotra, Negin Owliaei, Amy Walters, and Ruby Zaman. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

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