Maren Cogan

It's been used once by an American woman who came to Switzerland to be the first person to use the sarcopod to end her life. Now, if she had just come to Switzerland to end her life using the standard Swiss protocol, I think we probably would have never heard of this case. But the fact that she used the sarcopod has been massively controversial, and I think it has really

raised a bunch of really difficult-to-answer questions about the practice, both here in Switzerland but around the world, as more countries decide whether or not to legalize and enact medical aid in dying. And one of the countries that is sort of really struggling with those questions right now is Canada. No kidding. What's going on in Canada? So Canada has had medical aid in dying since 2016.

raised a bunch of really difficult-to-answer questions about the practice, both here in Switzerland but around the world, as more countries decide whether or not to legalize and enact medical aid in dying. And one of the countries that is sort of really struggling with those questions right now is Canada. No kidding. What's going on in Canada? So Canada has had medical aid in dying since 2016.

raised a bunch of really difficult-to-answer questions about the practice, both here in Switzerland but around the world, as more countries decide whether or not to legalize and enact medical aid in dying. And one of the countries that is sort of really struggling with those questions right now is Canada. No kidding. What's going on in Canada? So Canada has had medical aid in dying since 2016.

It has become a more frequent choice for many people at the end of their lives in the last several years since it became legal. It is very controversial, though, and a lot of people have concerns about who is approved for medical aid in dying and why. So there have been some stories that have come out about people who have been approved for medical aid in dying previously.

It has become a more frequent choice for many people at the end of their lives in the last several years since it became legal. It is very controversial, though, and a lot of people have concerns about who is approved for medical aid in dying and why. So there have been some stories that have come out about people who have been approved for medical aid in dying previously.

It has become a more frequent choice for many people at the end of their lives in the last several years since it became legal. It is very controversial, though, and a lot of people have concerns about who is approved for medical aid in dying and why. So there have been some stories that have come out about people who have been approved for medical aid in dying previously.

who didn't necessarily have a condition that was causing, many people would believe, unbearable suffering. It wouldn't reasonably bring about the end of their lives. I think even more concerning than that for a lot of people is that there have been reports that people are seeking medical aid in dying for non-explicitly medical reasons, such as financial insecurity, fears of loneliness.

who didn't necessarily have a condition that was causing, many people would believe, unbearable suffering. It wouldn't reasonably bring about the end of their lives. I think even more concerning than that for a lot of people is that there have been reports that people are seeking medical aid in dying for non-explicitly medical reasons, such as financial insecurity, fears of loneliness.

who didn't necessarily have a condition that was causing, many people would believe, unbearable suffering. It wouldn't reasonably bring about the end of their lives. I think even more concerning than that for a lot of people is that there have been reports that people are seeking medical aid in dying for non-explicitly medical reasons, such as financial insecurity, fears of loneliness.

Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, I want to say these aren't totally theoretical or speculative concerns. Some of them are real. You know, there are real concerns that some people are seeking and getting approved for reasons that are not necessarily life threatening or terminal illnesses. So there's an example of this from a recent government report that came out a few months ago.

Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, I want to say these aren't totally theoretical or speculative concerns. Some of them are real. You know, there are real concerns that some people are seeking and getting approved for reasons that are not necessarily life threatening or terminal illnesses. So there's an example of this from a recent government report that came out a few months ago.

Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, I want to say these aren't totally theoretical or speculative concerns. Some of them are real. You know, there are real concerns that some people are seeking and getting approved for reasons that are not necessarily life threatening or terminal illnesses. So there's an example of this from a recent government report that came out a few months ago.

There was a case study of a man who was in his 40s who had inflammatory bowel disease, and he really did suffer a number of issues because of that inflammatory bowel disease. He had difficulty maintaining a job, relationships, maintaining a social circle, that sort of thing.

There was a case study of a man who was in his 40s who had inflammatory bowel disease, and he really did suffer a number of issues because of that inflammatory bowel disease. He had difficulty maintaining a job, relationships, maintaining a social circle, that sort of thing.

There was a case study of a man who was in his 40s who had inflammatory bowel disease, and he really did suffer a number of issues because of that inflammatory bowel disease. He had difficulty maintaining a job, relationships, maintaining a social circle, that sort of thing.

It was actually raised to him during a psychiatry assessment if he was aware that medical assistance in dying was an option for him. There was no documentation that showed that his family was engaged in the process. And this man had a history of mental illness and substance abuse. His substance abuse was not really explored during MAID assessments, and he wasn't offered addiction treatments.

It was actually raised to him during a psychiatry assessment if he was aware that medical assistance in dying was an option for him. There was no documentation that showed that his family was engaged in the process. And this man had a history of mental illness and substance abuse. His substance abuse was not really explored during MAID assessments, and he wasn't offered addiction treatments.

It was actually raised to him during a psychiatry assessment if he was aware that medical assistance in dying was an option for him. There was no documentation that showed that his family was engaged in the process. And this man had a history of mental illness and substance abuse. His substance abuse was not really explored during MAID assessments, and he wasn't offered addiction treatments.

So there are real concerns that this isn't just people who are suffering from something and clearly at the end of their natural lifespan, but people who are dealing with other issues who may be being presented with MAID as an option.