Euthanasia Conference Gives Overwhelming Support to Development of Suicide Pill
The Voluntary Euthanasia Research Foundation conference in Broken Hill, Australia, yesterday gave overwhelming support to the development in Australia of a suicide pill able to provide the terminally ill with the means to their own dignified death.
Although concerns were raised about the potential for such a pill to be misused by the mentally ill or even used for murder, 98per cent of conference delegates were in favor of the foundation devising a recipe for the pill using ingredients most people could access.
Strong support was also given to the establishment of a caring friends network, based on the volunteer teams from the United States Hemlock Society that legally advise and assist those seeking rational suicide on the basis of terminal illness.
The conference will also send a message of support to jailed American euthanasia crusader, Dr Jack Kevorkian, and called for his immediate release.
Also See:
(3 August, 2001) Plans to develop suicide pill could face opposition by other right-to-die groups given new efforts to reinstate Northern Territory euthanasia legislation.