St Timothy Anglican Church Hall in Hatchet Lake, Nova Scotia, is hosting a free Hot Potato evening in early October to provide information about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Staff from the MAiD program will deliver a presentation on the criteria, process, and considerations related to MAiD. The event aims to educate attendees about the legal aspects of MAiD rather than unrelated topics, as indicated by the promotional material and the involvement of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition's Executive Director, Alex Schadenberg.
Pope Leo, speaking in Lourdes, France, condemned euthanasia and assisted suicide, emphasizing the dignity of human life. He acknowledged the suffering of those with illnesses and pain but rejected causing death under the guise of false compassion.
Bill C-218, which aims to prevent euthanasia for mental illness as the sole criterion, has undergone debates in the Canadian Parliament and is scheduled for a vote on October 7, 2026, with opposition from Bloc Québécois and support from some Conservative MPs. The debate includes concerns about the unpredictability of psychiatric prognoses, the risk of premature death for potentially recoverable patients, and the impact of euthanasia availability on suicide prevention and psychiatric treatment effectiveness.
Bill C-218, which aims to prevent euthanasia for mental illness as the sole criterion, had its first hour of debate on December 5, 2025, and its second hour on September 23, 2026, with a vote scheduled for October 7, 2026. During the September 23 debate, Luc Thériault (Montcalm) of the Bloc Québécois opposed Bill C-218 and supported euthanasia for mental illness as a sole criterion.
Michael Cooper spoke in parliament on September 23, 2026, in support of Bill C-218, which aims to prevent euthanasia (MAiD) when mental illness is the sole criterion. He described the bill as the 'right to recover act,' emphasizing its goal to offer hope and help to those with mental health challenges rather than allowing state-sanctioned death.
Tamara Jansen delivered a speech in parliament on September 23, 2026, supporting Bill C-218, which aims to prevent Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) from being granted solely based on mental illness. She referenced the case of Kiano Vafaeian, a 26-year-old who sought MAiD in Ontario at age 23 after struggling with Type 1 diabetes, mental health issues following a car accident, and vision loss, with his mother Margaret opposing his decision.
Brigitte Stegemann was euthanized under Canada's assisted dying system despite explicitly stating she did not want MAiD and being deemed competent by Dr. Kate Koester despite failing competency questions and having severe hearing impairment.
Brigitte Stegemann was declared competent despite not answering the competency questions during an assessment related to euthanasia. The Daily Mail published an article about an 83-year-old Christian grandmother who was euthanized against her will under Canada's assisted dying system, and the story has been confirmed as true despite some online doubts.
The spread of assisted suicide and euthanasia legalization and the resulting pressure on doctors to participate despite many refusing. It highlights the use of coercion, including threats to doctors' professional licenses, as a method to ensure compliance, citing bioethics advocates like Ezekiel Emanuel, Julian Savulescu, and Peter Singer.
Shawn Bauman, a 55-year-old man from Vancouver Island, fell in his living room on May 9, 2025, and was euthanized twelve days later on May 21, 2025. He was not terminally ill, having previously survived cancer and heart surgery, and his family has been unable to obtain his medical records.
Brigitte Stegemann, an 83-year-old woman in Ontario, Canada, was euthanized under the country's assisted dying system despite showing visible distress and opposition to the procedure, with her family alleging it was done without her express consent and questioning her competency. Her granddaughter, who was also her caregiver and medical power of attorney, is appealing to authorities to investigate the legality and circumstances of the euthanasia, citing concerns about the conduct of medical staff and the manner in which the procedure was presented and carried out.
Brigitte Stegemann, an 83-year-old woman, was euthanized under Canada's assisted dying system, as reported by Imogen Garfinkel in the Daily Mail. Her family is now challenging Canada's euthanasia laws following her death. Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, referenced articles about Brigitte Stegemann's case and his family's experience with Medical Assistance in Dying in July and September publications.
Kelsi Sheren discusses the first Dutch case under the expanded child life-termination framework, expressing horror that suffering was used to justify ending the life of a two-year-old who could not consent. She draws on her experience covering euthanasia and MAiD, noting the clinical language used to describe these irreversible actions.
The Netherlands reported its first euthanasia death of a child under 12 years old at the end of 2025, involving a 2-year-old born prematurely with severe disabilities including cerebral palsy and epilepsy. The article draws a historical parallel to the Nazi euthanasia program initiated in 1939, and notes ongoing debates in Canada about expanding euthanasia to include children, with some hospitals considering policies that allow euthanasia without parental consent.
Meghan Schrader, a disability activist and EPC-USA board member, discusses the Texas vs. Kennedy lawsuit which threatens new protections against euthanasia and infanticide.
The first euthanasia death in the Netherlands of a child under the age of 12 occurred at the end of 2025, involving a child around 2 years old. The child was born very prematurely, and this case follows the country's existing allowance of infant euthanasia under the age of 1 based on the Groningen Protocol.
Assisted suicide bills were defeated in the UK, Scotland, and Slovenia due to issues with unclear language and lack of protections for vulnerable people, highlighting cultural challenges and the need for better end-of-life care. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition opposes medical homicide and calls for improved care, equality for people with disabilities, and support for those with chronic conditions, emphasizing that opposition to killing must come before providing better care.
Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, expressed gratitude for the defeat of assisted suicide bills in the UK, Scotland, and Slovenia in 2025. These outcomes highlight both a lack of overwhelming support for euthanasia and assisted suicide and reveal significant cultural challenges, particularly in the UK, partly due to ineffective language in the proposed bills.
By Gordon Friesen President: Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Gordon Friesen Those of us who are committed to the prevention of medical homicide have frequently felt betrayed by the unfortunate adoption of pro-death policies, by those very organizations whose natural mandate is to oppose such practice without reservation. Our latest example involves the American Association of Suicidology, which has apparently reposted the following policy statement on its website: “the practice of physician aid in dying ... is distinct from the behavior that has been traditionally and ordinarily describe
Meghan Schrader By Meghan Schrader Meghan is a disability activists and a member of the EPC-USA board. This blog post responds to the fact that the American Association of Suicidology’s 2017 statement saying that Oregon Model “MAiD” is not “suicide,” previously “ retired ” by the AAS Executive Committee in 2023, was reissued verbatim this year. I may write follow-up blog posts about this development, but I will stick with this one for now. Clearly the AAS is comprised of brilliant scholars who have done great good for suicide prevention. Yet AAS’s vacillation can be understood to suggest that
Ashley Dalton UK (MP) L This is the speech in the British parliament by Ashley Dalton (Labour MP) West Lancashire who is living with terminal cancer. Dalton spoke against the assisted suicide bill on Friday September 11, 2026. Dalton is not philosophically opposed to assisted suicide but she is concerned about it's effects and she was opposed to the bill which was defeated by a vote of 286 to 270. ( Link to the speech ) The last time this House considered this bill at Second Reading I was keeping a secret. Whilst Honourable and Right Honourable members were debating the issu
Alex Schadenberg Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition In March 2021, the Canada's parliament expanded the euthanasia law by passing Bill C-7. One of the expansions in the law permitted euthanasia for a mental illness alone . but, at that time, the government declared a two-year moratorium to provide time to prepare for the change. The government has now delayed the implementation of euthanasia for mental illness, as a sole criteria, three times with implementation currently approved for March 17, 2027 . On June 20, 2025, Tamara Jansen (MP - Cloverdale
The Delta Hospice Society in Canada refused to provide medical assistance in dying (MAiD) after it became legal, leading to the hospice being forced to close and patients having to relocate. Angelina Ireland, Executive Director of the Delta Hospice Society, warns that legalizing assisted dying can fundamentally alter the philosophy and operation of hospices, which traditionally focus on accompanying people through dying rather than hastening death.
The British Parliament defeated the Edwards assisted suicide bill on September 9, 2026, by a vote of 286 to 270, following previous rejection of a similar Leadbeater bill in the House of Lords earlier that year. Changes influencing the outcome included a new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, who emphasized improving palliative and social care before considering assisted suicide, and ongoing concerns about the expansion of euthanasia laws as seen in Canada.
Alex Schadenberg and Dr. Paul Saba urge the British Parliament to vote against the Edwards assisted dying bill, citing the Canadian experience where assisted dying laws expanded beyond initial restrictions and led to increased risks such as misdiagnosis and broader eligibility criteria.
Wesley J Smith criticizes World Suicide Prevention Day for ignoring the role of assisted suicide and euthanasia, which he claims contradicts key suicide prevention strategies promoted by the World Health Organization. He highlights that assisted suicide is not opposed or even mentioned by major suicide prevention organizations despite evidence that legalizing it increases overall suicide rates.
A federal judge denied a request from disability rights advocates to block the Illinois assisted suicide law from going into effect on September 12, 2026, rejecting arguments that the law violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and other protections. The judge noted that one plaintiff, a quadriplegic woman, did not demonstrate harm under the law and questioned the standing of the plaintiffs, while giving them 30 days to appeal the decision.
Disability rights organizations petitioned a federal judge to block the Illinois assisted suicide law scheduled to take effect on September 12, 2026, arguing it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and discriminates against disabled people due to potential physician bias and coercion. Additionally, Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich and two orders of Catholic nuns filed a lawsuit claiming the law infringes on constitutional protections for free speech and religious freedom, while a judge is expected to decide on the law's legality before its implementation date.
Register for the Bring Roger Home Campaign Town Hall Meeting. Date: Wednesday September 16 at 2 pm (Eastern Time), 11 am (Pacific Time) ( Zoom event Registration Link ) Join our speakers: Roger Foley Alex Schadenberg, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, Lino Defacendis, Life Care Network, Kathy Matusiak Costa, Compassionate Community Care. It will also be Roger's 51st birthday. There is now a plan to bring Roger home. ( Zoom event Registration Link ) After almost a decade living in a London Ontario hospital and experiencing multiple series issues related to his care, and being denied direct
A new assisted-suicide clinic in New York plans to charge up to $12,000 per suicide facilitation, including medical evaluations and a prescription for lethal drugs. This creates significant financial incentives for doctors, with some already earning millions by assisting suicides, raising concerns about conflicts of interest and the lack of long-term doctor-patient relationships.
