Canada Will Legalize Medically Assisted Dying for People Addicted to Drugs (opens in new tab)

If Gabor Maté taught me anything, it is that all true addictions are the result of untreated/unresolved trauma.

Unfortunately, not all forms of trauma can be treated sufficiently within a human lifetime to ease the grip of addictions, and so those with intractable traumas are quite literally being tortured by life. And intentionally forcing torture upon someone is never an ethical or moral option.

MAiD is not the right choice for the vast majority people who are addicted. But for some, it might be the only truly merciful option. For some, death might be the only release they will ever be able to achieve. And the right to rationally end our own life is probably the most powerful expression of self-determination we could possibly possess.

Honestly, as our society expands its ability to extend lifespans, the true question for each individual will be “how long do I want to live?” And for some people this might mean wanting to live for a shorter time their their “natural” lifespan. Obviously people should be thinking clearly when they decide, but I don’t understand why we don’t let people make that decision on their own. Instead, we stigmatize and criminalize that entire concept.