I don't know about the debit card thing, at least from a Canadian perspective. The debit card is pretty much the defacto method of payment up here (over 10 years ago debit outpaced cash for purchases). However, there have been several changes over the years to improve security both from a technology perspective (chip cards) and process perspective (we usually insert/swipe our own cards).

However, we also have some protection against fraud, similar to credit cards. Here's some good info: Debit Card Fraud

Its also way nicer to spend the money you actually have