From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv
On 2026-03-27 2:17 p.m., BTR1701 wrote:
On Mar 27, 2026 at 5:53:59 AM PDT, "Rhino" <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
A Spanish woman who had been placed in a care home when officials deemed
her family life unsuitable, was gang-raped by migrants also living in
the home. She was so devastated by the experience that she was
chronically depressed and became a paraplegic after injuring herself in
a suicide attempt. She applied for assisted-suicide and, after a court
battle, the assisted suicide was allowed. Leo Kearse has the story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbfHyF77Tpg [13 minutes]
Although the young woman was still alive when this video was made, her
death happened a few hours later.
A true tragedy.
I just read that Canadia MAIDed more people last year than they lost in WWII.
Sounds about right. But trust our leaders, there is no Great Replacement happening: this is solely about human rights or some such excuse.
I just asked Gemini AI about this and got the following information.
==========================================================================
Do you have any information on MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying), the Canadian program of doctor-assisted suicide? I'm curious to know how
many people have availed themselves of this program since it was adopted
and what is known about the people using it and why they used it.
Since the program's inception in 2016, Medical Assistance in Dying
(MAiD) has become a significant part of the end-of-life landscape in
Canada. Based on the most recent federal data released in late 2025,
here is a breakdown of the numbers and the profile of those accessing
the program.
### Usage Statistics (2016–2024)
As of the end of 2024, a total of **76,475 people** have received MAiD
since it became legal. The program has seen steady growth, though recent
data suggests the rate of increase is starting to stabilize.
| Year | Number of MAiD Deaths | % of All Deaths in Canada |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **2016** | 1,018 | 0.4% |
| **2020** | 7,611 | 2.5% |
| **2022** | 13,241 | 4.1% |
| **2023** | 15,343 | 4.7% |
| **2024** | **16,499** | **5.1%** |
In 2024, approximately **1 in 20 deaths** in Canada was a medically
assisted death.
---
### Who is using the program?
The "typical" recipient of MAiD in Canada fits a relatively consistent demographic profile:
* **Age:** The median age of recipients is **77.9 years**. The vast
majority of users are seniors, though the program is available to any
eligible adult (18+).
* **Medical Conditions:** Cancer remains the most common primary
diagnosis, cited by over **63%** of recipients. Other common conditions include cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory conditions, and neurological disorders (like ALS).
* **Socio-economics:** Interestingly, Health Canada reports that
recipients do **not** disproportionately come from lower-income or disadvantaged communities. In fact, many recipients live in
higher-income neighborhoods and have higher levels of education.
* **Access to Care:** Most users are already engaged with the healthcare system; about **74%** of recipients received palliative care before
choosing MAiD.
---
### Why do people choose MAiD?
While many assume physical pain is the primary driver, reports show that **existential and functional suffering** are often more prominent
factors. Practitioners can list multiple reasons for a single patient,
but the most frequently cited are:
1. **Loss of ability to engage in meaningful activities (85%+)**: The
feeling that life no longer has the qualities that make it worth living.
2. **Loss of ability to perform activities of daily living (approx.
80%)**: Needing help with basic tasks like eating, bathing, or moving.
3. **Loss of dignity (approx. 63%)**: A perceived decline in self-worth
due to their condition.
4. **Inadequate pain control (approx. 57%)**: Actual or perceived
physical suffering.
5. **Loss of autonomy/independence**: The desire to control the timing
and manner of their death.
### The "Two Tracks" of Eligibility
Canada currently operates on a two-track system:
* **Track 1:** People whose natural death is "reasonably foreseeable."
This accounts for roughly **95.6%** of all MAiD cases.
* **Track 2:** People with a "grievous and irremediable" condition whose
death is *not* reasonably foreseeable. This group grew by 17% in 2024
but still represents a small fraction of the total.
==========================================================================
Most of the sources it cites for this information are government
websites like Statistics Canada and the www.canada.ca.
I also asked how many people died as a result of WWII and got the number 45,400.
That means that MAiD has killed considerably MORE people than we lost in
the war but over the first 8 or 9 years that MAiD has been available,
not just last year.
--
Rhino
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