Elderly couples are buying each other suicide kits as Christmas presents, says controversial euthanasia campaigner Dr Philip Nitschke.
Nice. Merry Christmas darling, hope you like your present! What a mad world.
Speaking at Tweed Heads yesterday on a new “peaceful pill” suicide method being developed overseas, Dr Nitschke’s comments sent right-to-life campaigners and church groups into a frenzy.
Asked whether it was in the spirit of the season to be publicising ways of ending life just a week before Christmas, Dr Nitschke said he was always going to attract criticism.
“Our main opposition is from religious groups who would still be getting outraged at Easter, or any other time of year for that matter,” he said.
“There are people here in this room who I know have bought that (euthanasia medication) for their loved ones as Christmas presents.”
His comments angered Right to Life Australia‘s Queensland co-ordinator Graham Preston.
“A pill to kill yourself and your loved one as a Christmas present is absolutely reprehensible,” he said.
“Christmas should be about celebrating life, so this is a very sad thing to hear.” Australian Christian Lobby group Queensland director Peter Earle said no time of year was a good time to talk about euthanasia.
“Christmas is about giving people hope and life – how tragic Dr Nitschke would darken family lives with death at this time,” he said.
Christian lobbyists clashed angrily with police at Dr Nitschke’s last Gold Coast visit in May but there were no protesters yesterday as more than 100 people turned out to learn about “death with dignity”.
A so-called “peaceful pill” is being developed from Nembutal, a drug commonly used by vets to put down animals, but not available to humans in Australia.
Instead, many elderly or sick people are being forced to travel to Mexico, where the drug is freely available.
While the present liquid form has an expiry date, Dr Nitschke said the pill being developed could sit for years and was easy to smuggle into the country.
Jill Kleinman, of Southport watched her husband lose a long battle with cancer and said she wished a painless alternative had been available to him.
“No one should have to die like that, so I am very interested in being able to buy something like this for myself,” she said.
Tags: News