The Counter Signal

Alberta Introduces Bill to Prohibit Assisted Suicide for Minors & the Mentally Ill

Alberta has tabled the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act, which would bar medical assistance in dying (MAID) for anyone under 18, for patients whose sole condition is a mental illness, and for cases where death is not reasonably foreseeable. The bill also permits physicians and facilities to decline MAID assessments and forbids referrals outside the province, while imposing new training requirements and penalties for non‑compliance. The legislation arrives amid a rapid rise in Canada’s assisted‑suicide deaths, with Track 2 cases up 226 percent nationally and 136 percent in Alberta since 2021. Premier Danielle Smith framed the measure as a protection for vulnerable Albertans.