Canadian doctor: People with mental illness need support — not 'assisted dying'

A Montreal doctor has spoken out against euthanasia for those with mental illness, advocating during the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition's Parliamentary Press conference on April 13. for the passage of a bill to protect such individuals.

Key Takeaways:

• Dr. Peter Blusanovics, a family physician from Montreal, said that Canada should pass Bill C-218 to protect those with mental illness from accessing "medical assistance in dying" (MAiD).

• The legislation would ensure that a person cannot qualify for MAiD solely based on a mental illness diagnosis.

• Dr. Blusanovics called for more support for those who are suffering, not easer access to death.

The Details:

Dr. Peter Blusanovics, a family physician from Montreal, advocated for Bill C-218, which would explicitly exclude people with mental illnesses from qualifying for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) based on that diagnosis alone.

EPC Press Conference – Dr. Blusanovics

In his speech, Dr. Blusanovics noted that more social supports must be put in place to help people — not easier access to death. He stated:

"Mental illness needs to be properly identified and treated. These Individuals do not want to die, they want their suffering to be relieved.

But there is currently lack of medical support, such as physicians, psychologists and social workers. There is lack of access to psychiatric support and long waiting lists before being assessed. There is lack of financial support: lack of housing, economic security and support from family and significant others."

He noted that MAiD offers "no solution" to the challenges those with mental illnesses are facing:

"Everyone deserves the right to be treated with dignity and with humanity. We are supposed to be a mature and evolved society that needs to take care of its most vulnerable.

We need to realize that the lack of proper care in our health care systems is not a good enough excuse to offer assisted suicide as a solution."

The Big Picture:

Since MAiD's legalization in 2016, restrictions around who can access it have been consistently loosened, and Canada is now one of the world's leaders in "assisted death." In March 2027, the reins are scheduled to be loosened even further, allowing people with mental illnesses with no other underlying medical conditions to qualify for euthanasia.

Those opposed to euthanasia launched a "Help Not Harm" campaign in March 2026, pushing for the passage of C-218, which has been called the "Right to Recover Act." The campaign aims to raise awareness about the harms of MAiD while advocating for more life-affirming alternatives, including palliative care and mental health support.

The Bottom Line:

Offering a person suffering with mental illness an easy way to kill themselves is not compassionate — it's horrific. Leaders in society should be doing everything possible to give care and necessary support to people who are suffering and in need. As Dr. Blusanovics pointed out, poor health care access is not a reason to kill someone.