'Doctor Death' suicide class pulled by council

A suicide workshop run by a euthanasia advocate nicknamed Doctor Death has been cancelled after the local council in Bournemouth intervened.

Dr Philip Nitschke was planning to appear at the Adult Learning Centre in Ensbury Avenue next Thursday. He intended to display various methods of committing suicide, including an ‘exit bag’, morphine and ‘DIY Peaceful Pills’. According to right-to-die organisation Exit International UK, Dr Nitschke chose Bournemouth because “there are lots of older people there.”

Dr Nitschke’s campaigning in Australia’s Northern Territory led to the legalisation of euthanasia there in the 1990s, but the law was overturned by the federal government nine months later. Before the law was overturned, he helped four people end their lives using a ‘Deliverance Machine’. He has continued to advise people on the best way to commit suicide.

Dr Nitschke’s Deliverence Machine consists of a computer that asks patients a series of questions. After they press a button three times, the computer administers a lethal dose of barbiturates. Speaking about the workshop, Dr Nitschke said people “can learn about various strategies and then get on with living life, knowing they have an insurance plan should things turn bad and death becomes an option.”

But Bournemouth Councillor Pat Lewis said: “I am extremely concerned. It sounds like he will be giving the exact advice we don’t want to give. I’m very upset to hear that he will be putting his ideas forward in our town. The people and families concerned are the most vulnerable - this is very worrying.”

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People commit suicide because they feel that they have no reason to live or because they can't see a way out of their problems. The UCKG is here to tell you that you are in this world for a reason and that you were born to be happy. Any situation can be fixed. Attend your nearest UCKG HelpCentre to speak to a Pastor or call 020 7686 6000.

Released on Friday 10th October 08