Survey of Attitudes of BC Residents towards Assisted Dying
Support among British Columbians for the Carter v Canada decision is notably high with 86% expressing support, with half of those showing strong support. The data shows that support spans across all analyzed demographic groups. Opposition is minimal at 14%, with only 3% strongly opposing. This pattern of strong support extends to other related areas of medical assistance in dying (MAID). A substantial 83% of respondents would support an advance request for MAID in cases of a diagnosis of a capacity-impairing grievous and irremediable condition.
Almost 8 in 10 (78%) British Columbians emphasize the importance of amending the Health Care (Consent) & Care Facility (Admission) Act to include an advance request option for medical assisted death. In addition, a significant majority (85%) support a Federal amendment to the Criminal Code to decriminalize the actions of clinicians performing MAID under a prior, competent, freely given, and written advance request. Only 15% oppose this amendment. Almost 8 in 10 (79%) agree that the Province of BC should renegotiate the Master Agreement with the Denominational Health Association to permit the provision of MAID.
Regarding health care facilities, 68% are aligned with the statement: Publicly funded health care facilities should be required to provide the full range of health care services, including MAID, if they have the proper equipment and staff to do so. Currently, not all hospitals and health care facilities are required to state whether or not they offer MAID on their website. Three quarters of British Columbians say they align with the perspective that the current level of transparency in hospitals and health care facilities is insufficient and poses unjustifiable burdens on patients.
When it comes to personal health conditions, 31% of respondents, or someone close to them, have a degenerative neuro-cognitive disorder such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, and 26% of British Columbians live with a disability that hinders their full and equal participation in society. Support for the provision of MAID remains in the majority, even among those who identify as religious. Support for advance requests is generally higher among those with personal and lived experiences with chronic conditions, or those who know a loved one who has accessed MAID.
