News

Doctor sets up "how to die" workshops in New Zealand

Christopher Zinn, Sydney

The controversial Australian voluntary euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke is planning to extend his activities abroad by setting up clinics and "how to die" workshops in New Zealand.

But Dr Nitschke, who helped four terminally ill patients to legally kill themselves before the euthanasia laws in Northern Territory were overturned in 1997, is not leaving Australia.

He is also setting up a laboratory in Darwin to which people can send samples of out of date prescription drugs such as barbiturates to find out if they are lethal. "It is a common thing for people to be stockpiling drugs in case they come in handy one day, to end their lives peacefully should the occasion arise," he said.

Dr Nitschke, who qualified in medicine at the age of 42 after an earlier doctorate in physics, is back in the news after Sydney police said they wanted to interview him about the apparent overdose of a 72 year old woman with cancer.

Norma Hall, a member of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society, reportedly died after drinking a bottle of morphine prescribed by palliative care staff. Dr Nitschke, who was with her, has denied assisting her suicide, which is illegal.

Dr Nitschke said that he would apply for New Zealand medical registration and merely be advising patients on questions that they wanted answered. Counselling, aiding, or abetting suicide is illegal and has the same penalty as manslaughter.

"I won't be advising people to commit suicide at all," he said of his initial two week visit, when he will hold consultations with 16 patients.

The New Zealand Medical Association, which is opposed to euthanasia, said there was nothing it could do to stop him. But the Doctors For Life group is seeking legal advice.

"If we know he is giving specific advice to people then there will be grounds to move," said the group's president, Dr Kevin Fitzsimons.