Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: Language Lost in MAiD

Résumé

For most of Canada’s approximately 40-year debate on medically assisted death, euthanasia and assisted suicide were considered distinct issues. Yet in 2016 their ethical, psychological, and practical differences were effectively disregarded when the two acts were grouped together in the legislation under the umbrella term, “Medical Assistance in Dying” (MAiD). Although the term was fitting when the act was first legalized, expansion of eligibility has drastically changed the program from end-of-life care into life-ending intervention. As a result the term, “MAiD,” has lost its meaning and become a euphemism and a brand name, of sorts. Moreover, concealed behind the MAiD brand are a host of social issues which have developed since legalization.

A re-evaluation of the decision to discard the distinction between assisted suicide and euthanasia is necessary to allow for clear communications and truly patient-centered approaches for tackling these issues. Providing a one-size-fits-all remedy by conflating assisted suicide and euthanasia ignores the goal of Canada’s original prohibition on assisted suicide, positioning the medical system to offer a painless means for the most vulnerable in our society to end their own lives.