Dr. Death heads to New Zealand

Dr. Philip Nitschke, or “Dr. Death” as he’s known in his home country of Australia, is creating a stir yet again in his global pro-euthanasia campaign. Nitschke and his supporters believe that “it is a fundamental human right of all rational adults to control the time and place of their own death.” Nitschke is currently organizing trips ...

Dr. Philip Nitschke, or "Dr. Death" as he's known in his home country of Australia, is creating a stir yet again in his global pro-euthanasia campaign. Nitschke and his supporters believe that "it is a fundamental human right of all rational adults to control the time and place of their own death." Nitschke is currently organizing trips for eight New Zealanders to travel to Mexico to legally buy Nembutal, a "suicide drug" that bears an eerie resemblance to Quietus from the film Children of Men

Dr. Philip Nitschke, or “Dr. Death” as he’s known in his home country of Australia, is creating a stir yet again in his global pro-euthanasia campaign. Nitschke and his supporters believe that “it is a fundamental human right of all rational adults to control the time and place of their own death.” Nitschke is currently organizing trips for eight New Zealanders to travel to Mexico to legally buy Nembutal, a “suicide drug” that bears an eerie resemblance to Quietus from the film Children of Men

Nitschke has been advocating the legalization of euthanasia for years now, even setting up an international lobby group aptly named Exit International, which promotes his workshops (yes, he has workshops) and publications. His most recent book, The Peaceful Pill Handbook (a “Prohibited Import” in Australia) is set to launch in New Zealand next month. Nitschke’s other major publication, Killing Me Softly, was published by Penguin in 2005. If this all sounds a little macabre to you, you may want to avoid learning about Nitschke’s suicide-aiding inventions: a carbon monoxide-pumping machine and the “exit bag.”

Prerna Mankad is a researcher at Foreign Policy.
Tag: Health

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