Semantics and medical assistance in dying

In the recent editorial by the editor-in-chief of the CMAJ,1 the language used, even if it is prefaced by “to be blunt,” is out of place. To say “This is not mere semantics — to be blunt, the physician must ask another health care provider to consider killing their patient” is to use inflammatory language that should not be coming out of the pen of an editor-in-chief of any responsible publication. We all know what is happening, but spare us the crude language. The conscientious objectors are the ones using semantics if they try to say that referral to “Dr. Medical Assistance in Dying, assessor at such a phone number” is different from referral to “a care coordinating centre at such a phone number.”