False Claim: MAiD Causes Patients to “Drown” After Being Given a Paralytic First

In a post on the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition’’s Facebook Page, viewers are told that MAiD involves giving a paralytic first, leaving patients to consciously experience suffocation or “drowning.” That description is not grounded in any facts about MAiD in Canada. Standard MAiD protocols begin with medications that induce deep unconsciousness—patients are placed into a coma-like state before any medications that affect breathing or heart function are administered. They are not awake, aware, or experiencing distress.

What makes this claim especially difficult to take at face value is that it has already been addressed by individuals within the anti-MAiD movement itself. At a conference hosted by the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, its co-founder, Dr. Will Johnston, directly pushed back on the idea that patients are “drowning in their own secretions,” describing that scenario as inconsistent with the medications used in MAiD. Alex Schadenberg was standing beside him when he said it.

When a claim continues to be shared—even after being publicly contradicted by a co-founder of the same organization—it becomes difficult to view it as a simple misunderstanding. It suggests an awareness that the claim is inaccurate, yet it continues to be circulated regardless.

There is a legitimate space for debate about MAiD. But describing it in a way that suggests patients are suffocating or “drowning” is not part of an honest disagreement—it is misinformation.

For a more detailed breakdown of how MAiD is actually provided, and where this claim originates, see our full article: Anti-MAiD Doctor Concedes MAiD Is a Peaceful Death