''The Peaceful Pill Handbook'' is a book setting out information on assisted suicide and

voluntary euthanasia Voluntary euthanasia (VE) is the ending of a person's life at their request in order to relieve them of suffering. Voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) have been the focus of intense debate in recent years. Some forms of ...

. Written by the Australian doctor

Philip Nitschke Philip Haig Nitschke (; born 8 August 1947) is an Australian humanist, author, former physician, and founder and director of the pro-euthanasia group EXIT (Australia), Exit International. He campaigned successfully to have a legal euthanasia la ...

and lawyer Fiona Stewart, it was originally published in the U.S. in 2006. A

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

edition of the print book—''Die Friedliche Pille''—was published in 2011. A French edition—''La Pilule Paisible''—was published in June 2015. In 2008, the online handbook—''The Peaceful Pill eHandbook''—was launched, containing video clips on assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia methods and related issues, but it does not provide "how-to" instructions. The eHandbook is updated bimonthly.

Content

The book is primarily intended for seniors, people who are seriously ill, and their families and friends. It is also a resource guide for those working in

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

and

elderly care Elderly care, or simply eldercare (also known in parts of the English-speaking world as aged care), serves the needs and requirements of senior citizens. It encompasses assisted living, adult daycare, long-term care, nursing homes (often call ...

. The book rates more than a dozen methods of euthanasia according to reliability and peacefulness scales. Strategies covered by the books include: the use of gases such as

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...

, poisons such as

carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a colorless, poisonous, odorless, tasteless, flammable gas that is slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the simple ...

, prescription drugs such as insulin and the opiates, and former prescription drugs such as the barbiturates. The book details lawful means of obtaining and administering the drugs, and other peripheral issues such as drug storage,

shelf life Shelf life is the length of time that a commodity may be stored without becoming unfit for use, consumption, or sale. In other words, it might refer to whether a commodity should no longer be on a pantry shelf (unfit for use), or no longer on a ...

and disposal. The Swiss assisted suicide services are also covered in detail, as are issues such as the writing of wills,

advance directives An advance healthcare directive, also known as living will, personal directive, advance directive, medical directive or advance decision, is a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no ...

, and issues of determining decision-making capacity. One of the more controversial aspects of the book is its coverage of the Internet as a source of drugs. To this end, the authors publish a regular

neighbourhood watch Neighbourhood Watch in the United Kingdom is the largest voluntary crime prevention movement covering England and Wales with upwards of 2.3 million household members. The charity brings neighbors together to create strong, friendly and active comm ...

that warns about Internet

scammers A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibility, and greed. Researchers have de ...

and fraudulent websites.

Reception

Although restricted in New Zealand and Australia, the book is available without restriction on

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential econo ...

, Amazon.co.uk, and from the Peacefulpillstore.com website.

Australia

While the book was initially granted an 18+ rating in Australia, this was overturned on appeal from the Australian Attorney-General. In early 2007, the publication was refused classification (RC) by the Classification Board. In 2009, the Australian government included the handbook website in its internet filtering plan known as the Clean Feed.

New Zealand

In 2008, the

Society for Promotion of Community Standards The Society for Promotion of Community Standards Inc. ("SPCS") is a conservative lobby group in New Zealand. A registered charity and incorporated society, the Society has taken a strong pro-censorship stance and clashed many times with the Office ...

objected to the book’s publication. This led to its banning in New Zealand on the grounds that it was an objectionable publication. A short time later, the book was republished in redacted form and is available only if sealed, and an indication of the censorship classification is displayed.

References

External links