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TORONTO (AP) — Canada has introduced its new assisted suicide law. And it will only apply to Canadian citizens and residents -- meaning Americans won't be able to travel to Canada to die.
The law allows doctors to assist in the deaths of "adults who are suffering intolerably and for whom death is reasonably foreseeable." It says the person must be mentally competent and 18 or older. The person must also have a serious and incurable disease, illness or disability and be in an advanced state of irreversible decline of capability.
Canada's Supreme Court last year struck down laws that bar doctors from helping someone die. But it put the ruling on hold while the government came up with a new law.
The proposed law still requires approval in Parliament but is expected to pass, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government controls the majority of seats.
But an organization promoting assisted suicide laws says it doesn't go far enough -- because a 16-year-old with cancer would not get a choice. The group also wants people who've been diagnosed with dementia or Parkinson's to be able to make a request in advance for assisted suicide.
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063-c-11-(Rob Gillies (GHIHL'-eez), AP correspondent)-"in the future"-AP correspondent Rob Gillies reports that allowing only Canadian citizens to make use of the law isn't the only restriction it contains. (14 Apr 2016)
<<CUT *063 (04/14/16)££ 00:11 "in the future"
061-c-18-(Rob Gillies (GHIHL'-eez), AP correspondent)-"physician assisted suicide"-AP correspondent Rob Gillies reports Canada's new assisted suicide law is going to be available only for its own citizens. (14 Apr 2016)
<<CUT *061 (04/14/16)££ 00:18 "physician assisted suicide"
APPHOTO AJW503: Canada Health Minister Jane Philpott speaks at a news conference in Ottawa on Thursday, April 14, 2016. Canada has introduced a new assisted suicide law that will only apply to Canadians and residents, meaning Americans won't be able to travel to Canada to die. Visitors will be excluded under the proposed law announced Thursday, precluding the prospect of suicide tourism. Canadian government officials said to take advantage of the law the person would have to be eligible for health services in Canada. (Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (14 Apr 2016)
<<APPHOTO AJW503 (04/14/16)££
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