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| Alex Schadenberg |
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Philip Nitschke has been promoting assisted suicide for many years. Recent statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that Nitschke's is promotion of suicide techniques has led to many younger people dying by suicide.
The Sydney Morning Herald featured the story of Lucas Taylor (26) who died in 2012, after receiving suicide assistance from Nitschke and his group.
Twenty-six-year-old Lucas Taylor took his own life by taking Nembutal more than three years ago, but he still gets Exit International's email newsletter.
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| Judith Taylor, the mother of Lucas. |
After his death in 2012 his mother Judith went through his emails looking for answers and found he had been a paid up member of the organisation.
the deaths among younger people were an "unintended consequence" of the voluntary euthanasia movement putting out information online on suicide methods.
Nembutal is a veterinary euthanasia drug.
According the Sydney Morning Herald:
Nitschke is also fighting to keep his Australian medical license. There have been 12 complaints to the Australian Medical Board concerning Nitschke and his group Exit International.
New data from the national coronial information system shows 120 people died by taking Nembutal .. between July 2000 and December 2012.
The deaths included one person under the age of 20, 11 people in their 20s and 14 people in their 30s.
Voluntary euthanasia campaigners say the actual number of Nembutal deaths is even higher, as many deaths are not reported to the coroner and people who use the drug to take their lives take steps to make it look like the death is of natural causes.
Nitschke is also fighting to keep his Australian medical license. There have been 12 complaints to the Australian Medical Board concerning Nitschke and his group Exit International.
Judith Taylor submitted one of those complaints. Taylor told the Medical Board that:
her son had been coached in how to take his own life by forum members who exchanged information on the particulars.
There was no one present to urge restraint or at least some second thoughts about the permanency of suicide, other possible options and the fact that he would be wrapping up his pain and passing it on to his family for the rest of their lives.
It is the worst of the worst. To find your son has died is bad enough but to find out it was by his own hand and then to find out there is an international business that promotes it, coerces it and provides all the info was worse.Nitschke's has been promoting veterinary euthanasia drugs for many years. In June 2010 I commented on a study from Victoria Australia that found:
... of the 51 people who were known to have died from Nembutal, 6 people were in their 20's, 8 people were in their 30's, 5 people were in their 40's, 14 people were in their 50's, 3 people in their 60's, 10 in their 70's, and 5 people were over the age of 80.
... of the 38 known deaths that were investigated by a coroner, only 11 had a significant physical illness or chronic pain with the remaining 27 cases showing no signs of physical problems.
The report suggested that the 27 otherwise healthy people who died from Nembutal use were most likely depressed or mentally ill.Paul Russell, the director of HOPE, an organisation devoted to preventing euthanasia and assisted suicide, said the data was concerning and something suicide prevention organisations should be heeding.
We need to find more effective ways of helping people [who] are feeling desperate from going to these clandestine organisations.The fact is that Nitschke recklessly abandons vulnerable people who deserve social, and psychological support, excellent care, effective pain management and a caring community.
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