Philip Nitschke
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'''Philip Nitschke''' (born 1947) is an [[Australia]]n [[medical doctor]], [[Humanist (life stance)|humanist]] and founder of the pro-[[euthanasia]] group ''[[EXIT (Australia)|Exit]]''. He successfully campaigned to have a legal euthanasia law passed in Australia's [[Northern Territory]] and assisted four people in ending their lives before the law was overturned by the [[Government of Australia|Federal government]].
Since then, he has provided advice to others who have ended their lives, mostly notably [[Nancy Crick]], aged 69. On [[May 22]], [[2002]], Crick, with over a dozen friends and family (but not Nitschke) present, took a lethal dose of [[barbiturates]], went quickly to sleep, and died within twenty minutes. Nitschke had suggested Nancy Crick was suffering from a recurrence of her [[bowel cancer]]. Most of his criticism for this case came after it was revealed that Nancy Crick was not terminally ill at all.
In January 2007, he published the controversial book ''[[The Peaceful Pill Handbook]]'', which was prohibited by Australian federal [[censorship]] regulator, the [[Office of Film and Literature Classification (Australia)|Office of Film and Literature Classification]] at the end of February 2007 <ref> {{cite web |url= http://www.oflc.gov.au/resource.html?resource=952&filename=952.pdf|title= The Peaceful Pill Handbook Refused Classification upon review |accessdate=2007-05-04 |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= 2007-02-24 |format= pdf |work= |publisher= Classification Review Board|pages= 1 |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref>. The book was banned in [[New Zealand]] on 8 June 2007 by the [[Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)|New Zealand Office of Film and Literature Classification]], not because it advocates for euthanasia, but because it gives instructions on drug manufacture and other crimes.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Peaceful Pill Handbook Banned | work = OFLC | url = http://www.censorship.govt.nz/news-archive-current-peacefulpill.html | date = [[2007-06-10]] | accessdate = 2008-01-28 }}</ref> In May 2008, it was allowed for sale if sealed and an indication of the censorship classification was displayed.<ref> [http://www.censorship.govt.nz/pdfword/peaceful%20pill%20s38.pdf Office of Film & Literature Classification] decision </ref>
Nitschke has been criticised for his stance on euthanasia, and for creating and providing devices to aid people who want euthanasia, including a product called the "exit bag" and the "CoGen" device. Used together, the CoGen device generates the deadly gas [[carbon monoxide]], which is inhaled with the "exit bag."<ref>{{cite web | title = The CoGen | work = Exit International | url = http://www.exitinternational.net/index.php?page=CoGen | accessdate = 2008-05-25 }}</ref> He caused controversy in [[New Zealand]] when he announced plans to accompany eight New Zealanders to [[Mexico]] and help them purchase the potentially life-ending drug [[Nembutal]].<ref>{{cite web | title = NZ offered Mexican Suicide Drug Trip | work = The Age | url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/NZ-offered-Mexican-suicide-drug-trips/2007/02/06/1170524056505.html | date = [[2007-02-06]]}}</ref>
In 1998, Nitschke was recognised as the Australian [[Humanist (life stance)|Humanist]] of the Year by the [[Council of Australian Humanist Societies]].
In the [[Australian federal election, 2007|2007 Australian federal election]], Dr Nitschke ran against the Australian politician [[Kevin Andrews (Australian politician)|Kevin Andrews]] in the [[Victoria (Australia)|Victorian]] seat of [[Division of Menzies|Menzies]] but was unsuccessful. <ref>{{cite web | title = Election results for the seat of Menzies (Australian Electoral Commission)| url = http://results.aec.gov.au/13745/website/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-13745-229.htm | date = [[2007-11-26]]}}</ref>
==References==
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==External links==
* http://www.internationaltaskforce.org/austr.htm
* http://www.exitinternational.net/
* http://www.ldp.org.au/federal/policies/Assisted_Suicide.html
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[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:Australian doctors]]
[[Category:Australian humanists]]
[[Category:Australian politicians]]
[[Category:Euthanasia]]
[[Category:Living people]]
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