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A viewpoint by Julia Anaf (Vice President, South Australia Voluntary Euthanasia Society) on gender and voluntary euthanasia.

Friends at the End (FATE) reports that Jeremy Purvis, Liberal Democrat in the Scottish Parliament, has initiated

A five-­person committee of the local parliament has been examining the issues of passive and active euthanasia

Last year in England, a 57-year old man, terminally-ill with motor neurone disease (Lou Gehrig’s syndrome), ended his life at home after three unsuccessful attempts. He had planned to go to Dignitas, in Zurich, but was unable to do so because “he could not afford it”.

Mainly arising from this ­incident, TLC— The Last Choice has been established, principally by Dr. Michael Irwin. Its main objectives are:

• Give advice on how Dignitas can help the terminally-ill in the UK (eg: explain what happens in Zurich; how to get one’s medical records in the UK, etc)
  

In April, a 13-member Select Committee, which had been extensively examining Lord Joffe’s “Assisted Dying for the Terminally-ill” Bill, issued its report. Under this draft Bill, a terminally-ill patient could receive a lethal injection, if suicide by swallowing life-ending medication was impossible). This report is a solid body of work resulting from over 140 witness statements, including some from abroad, 60 written submissions and 14,000 letters/e-mails from individuals.

A bill which would give terminally ill patients the right to demand an end to treatment, including artificial feeding, was passed in France. Passive euthanasia would thus be authorized; active euthanasia would remain illegal. Doctors will be able to switch off life-support machines “if these extend life artificially” without fear of prosecution.

The right to die with dignity, euthanasia and assisted suicide as means to achieve dignified death, have

Helium canisters have become available in Australia which can be used with a plastic bag for a peaceful and quick self-deliverance. This method has been used in the U.S. and Canada and is described in the third edition of Final Exit by Derek Humphry. Other methods being developed are the CoGenie, a carbon monoxide generator and a new Catalytic converter generator (the “CarGen”).

Phililp Nitschke and Dr. Fiona Stewart just released their new book, Killing Me Softly: Voluntary Euthanasia and the Road to the Peaceful Pill amid media and public attention in Australia. It is the explanation for Dr. Nitschke’s pursuit of methods people can use themselves though it is not a how-to book.

http://www.assistedsuicide.org

http://www.autonomy-now.org

http://www.compassionandchoices.org

http://www.deathwithdignity.org

http://www.dghs.de

by Derek Humphry

The Australian parliament is likely to pass a law banning information about suicide from being given on the internet, by phone—or publication and distribution of research—on new methods of self-deliverance. Clearly aimed at Dr. Philip Nitschke and his Exit International activities, the government will be able to tap Exit’s phones, infiltrate and screen Exit’s faxes and emails, and monitor Exit’s website and listservs.