While public consensus can be reassuring, we do not have it when it comes to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). As the 10th anniversary of MAID's legalization approaches this week, data shows that public support for MAID is narrower and softer than it may initially appear.
Misconceptions About MAID Eligibility
Many Canadians hold false beliefs about MAID. For instance, a majority think that MAID recipients must be dying imminently, that patients must try medically effective treatment before approval, and that MAID is only for exceptional or last-resort situations. However, the actual law does not require a terminal condition; it only mandates that patients be informed of or offered alternatives or treatments.
An academic study found that most Canadians could not correctly answer questions about MAID. This gap between public perception and legal reality leads to tragic cases, such as that of Kiano Vafaeian, a 26-year-old with mental health challenges who doctor-shopped until he found someone willing to end his life.
Public Opinion on MAID Conditions
New polling data from the Angus Reid Institute (ARI) shows ongoing support for MAID but also reveals that a strong majority believes the government should demonstrate adequate housing, income, and disability care before offering MAID to someone living with a disability. Canadians clearly view MAID as an exceptional option, appropriate only when adequate care and living conditions are in place.
Previous ARI data also indicated concerns, especially among persons with severe disabilities, about how inadequate care might pressure vulnerable Canadians to choose MAID.
Growing Discomfort with Expanded MAID
The data may reflect increased discomfort with the expanded version of MAID introduced in 2021, which Canadians are becoming more aware of through heartbreaking media reports. Comparing recent ARI polls with past data shows that support for MAID for those without a "reasonably foreseeable death" has dropped by 10 percentage points.
This creates a challenge for the federal government as it considers, for a third time, whether to proceed with the planned 2027 expansion of MAID for individuals whose only condition is mental illness. More than half of Canadians polled by ARI were unaware of this upcoming expansion.
Committee Recommendation
A report tabled Wednesday by a special joint committee of senators and MPs contains a single recommendation: "That the Government of Canada amend the Criminal Code to indefinitely exclude persons whose sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness from eligibility for medical assistance in dying." Members of Parliament have until July 11 to provide feedback on this recommendation.
