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June-July 2011 CHINESE NEMBUTAL EXIT LABORATORY tests RETURN POSITIVE RESULTS Over the past 12 months, Exit common sentiment is that the bottle While there is some variation in the members have been increasingly will be kept locked away safe in a way companies choose to supply the concerned that the Sodium cupboard ‘in case it is ever needed’. drug (some sell only to individuals Pentobarbital (Nembutal) that they In this regard, our members often tell who represent scientific research have sourced from is the ‘real us of the relief they feel being back in organisations - correspondence on stuff’. In Deliverance this month, control; knowing that if their health letterhead can be required), others we report on Exit’s exclusive lab deteriorates and if their quality of life are fairly relaxed in the way they do testing which has produced positive takes a significant turn for the worse, business. results from four separate online and death becomes a preferable sources. option, then they are prepared. All of these companies state that their products are pure. But are they? With questions continuing to dog the Over the past 18 months, Chinese availability of Nembutal in Mexican powder Nembutal has become more In recent months, Exit received a border towns such as Tijuana, many widely available. The drug has been concerning report from one member Exit members have turned to online stated as reagent grade with a CAS No who said she who had purchased sources of the drug. Most will not of 57-33-0. This means the highest Sodium Pentobarbital from China. use the Nembutal they acquire. The grade (purity) available commercially. cont p.2 IN THIS ISSUE 1 Chinese Nembutal: Lab Test Results 2 Net Censorship Update 3 Time to Decriminalise VE Debates - a Hot Topic for the coming months 3 Exit Director @ Sydney University Union 3 New Look ‘Deliverance’ 4 India Calling 4 Dr Ted joins Peaceful Pill Forums 5 Exitorial 6 Mid Year East Coast Tour 2011 7 The Fight for the Memory of Dr 7 Vale - Madeleine Tilche 8 Exit Store - Join Exit Form June - July 2011 Page 1 of 8 Net censorship update on a list compiled and sanctioned by . Commenting It was with some concern on 25 June that Exit noted the on the Filter, News journalist, Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, has national press reporting that the Government’s planned note that this Filter is not the original internet censorship plan ‘Clean Feed’ mandatory Internet filter would become a the Rudd/Gillard Government proposed. But it is no better. reality in in July 2011. ‘Australian internet service providers have put their hands up to With the Government’s own review into how RC (refused do some of the Government’s dirty work for them ... Censoring classification) material is to be mandatorily censored on the the internet is a slippery slope. Australians don’t need to follow Internet not due until early 2012, the stop-gap Filter seems in China’s footsteps.’ focused largely on child pornography. Or is it? With the media reporting that ISPs themselves are unclear as Rather than using the hitherto secret blacklist of thousands to the contents of the new list, Exit advises subscribers to the of websites, the 500 site strong list which has been reported PPeH and Exit members active in the Peaceful Pill forums to be as being voluntarily adopted by Telstra and Optus (Australia’s vigilant for blocking of access in the coming weeks. Information two biggest Internet Service Providers - ISPs) is one based about ways around the filter can be found on the Exit website at: http://www.exitinternational.net/page/Internet+Masterclass CHINESE NEMBUTAL EXIT LABORATORY tests RETURNS POSITIVE RESULTS (cont)

After independent testing, her sample was revealed to be less than 50% pure Nembutal. For this reason, Exit has undertaken its own testing, the results of which are reported exclusively in the June/ July 2011 update to the Peaceful Pill eHandbook.

Far from finding that the samples of Chinese powder Nembutal have been cut with other substances, Exit Lab testing has revealed purity levels of 95.2%, 96.2%, 95.2% & 95.0% w/w respectively from the four sources analysed. These levels provide assurance that ingestion of the recommended amounts of these drugs as a drink (when dissolved in water) would provide a reliable and peaceful death.

With these encouraging results, Exit is now working towards the production of a quantitative DIY test kit. The Using the existing Exit Drug Test Kit to test for the presence of current Exit Drug Test Kit (available at www.peacefulpill. in imported Chinese powder. Items include min- iature scales, buffer solution, a cap of water and test cassette. com) only provides qualitative testing; ie it tests for the presence (yes/ no) of a Barbiturate, rather than purity. know-how, it will be possible for it to be performed Together with the development of the DIY test in coming at home. For those less confident, the quantitative kit months, Exit will also provide instructions as to how to should provide peace of mind. Exit expects the Kit to be carry out one’s own quantitative testing in the August - on sale by the end of 2011. September 2011 update to the PPeH. While this test will demand a degree of precision and June - July 2011 Page 2 of 8 ve Debates with dr VE IS the theme of a number of debates in the coming months for Dr Philip Nitschke. Firstly, Philip last week debated palliative care doctor, Megan Best, at Medical Students Association’s National Convention at Darling Harbour in Sydney (6 July). The next debate will take place at the conference of the South Australian Nurses & Midwifery Federation at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on 1 August. Speaking alongside Philip for the affirmative will be SA Greens MP Mark Parnell and nurse Sandra Bradley, representing ‘SA Nurses for Choice in Dying’.

Dr Philip Nitschke addressing Other forthcoming debates include the University Union with NSW (25 Aug), Trinity College Dublin (16 Nov) and a special event at the Sydney Opera House in October. AMA President Dr Andrew Pesce Call the Exit office for details on 1300 10 3948 (EXIT) if you wish to support Philip and come along. On 17 May, Exit Director Dr Philip Nitschke took part in a debate at the University of Sydney Union on whether the House should legalise Voluntary . On the affirmative side were Philip and NSW Greens Parliamentary Leader, MP Kate Faehrmann. On the opposing side were AMA President Dr Andrew Pesce and The new anti-choice lobby group. HOPE is the Austral- ian arm of the virulent Canadian pro-life organisation the new CEO of the anti-choice lobby group, HOPE of Alex Schadenberg known as the Euthanasia Preven- (Preventing Euthanasia & ) Paul Russell. tion Coalition. Mr Russell is also President of NSW . We are pleased to say that the affirmative side clearly Philip’s excellent address on the day can be viewed on won the day with Philip receiving rapturous applause You Tube at: http://bit.ly/kA5pyf after a particularly engaging contribution.

new look ‘deliverance’ online, a new format was needed, It is over 10 years since the first edition of Deliverance was as it was not simply a matter of published by . Back then, Exit was known taking what works on paper and as the Research Foundation. How making it digital. times have changed! Exit is very pleased with the result This month sees a new look Deliverance, online and in you. We hope members are too. print. Commenting on the newsletter’s new face, Dr Philip The print edition will continued Nitschke has emphasised Exit’s increasing shift online as to to be mailed to members without why change was required. ‘Until early this year Deliverance email. was still delivered by mail to our members. With our shift

June - July 2011 Page 3 of 8 india calling Court left open the way for what that country has termed Over recent years, the subject of Voluntary Euthanasia has ‘passive euthanasia’. received increasing attention on the Indian subcontinent. Earlier this year, the case of Aruna Shanbaug served to In Australia and throughout many western countries, the intensify debate about how that country deals, both legally withdrawal of medical treatment is enshrined in law. It is also and ethically, with choice at the end of life. an issue that Advocates such as Dr Nitschke are careful not to confuse with euthanasia per se. In 1973, nurse Aruna Shanbaug was viciously sexually assaulted. She has been in a persistent vegetative state ever In India the debate is clearly in its infancy. In since (some 37 years). In January this year, responding to an August, Dr Nitschke will travel to Delhi to share his expertise action by her friend Pinki Virani, the Indian Supreme Court in regard to the Australian experience. The meeting is to be ruled against Aruna’s life support being turned off. While this hosted by the University College of Medical Sciences and the case turned on a technicality (Pinki was not a carer and was Indian Medical Association. Dr Nitschke will also deliver a therefore unable to request the cessation of life support), the public address at the University during his visit. dr ted joins peaceful pill forums EXIT IS pleased to welcome a new face this month to the ever-popular Peaceful Pill forums. With a background in medicine, pharmacology and organic chemistry Dr Ted, who hails from Brisbane, will be Exit’s resident techni- cal specialist on much of the content in The Peaceful Pill eHandbook.

The Peaceful Pill forums can be found at: www.peacefulpillhandbook.com/forum

Access to the forums is exclusive for current, financial Exit’s Peaceful Pill Forums allow Exit members and subscribers to the online Peaceful Pill members/ PPeH subscribers to ask eHandbook (on approval). their questions directly to experts Forum topics are divided into eHandbook chapters. To date, around 1000 people have joined the Forums. EXAMPLES OF the type of questions being answered by Dr Ted and Dr Philip Nitschke in the PP forums include:

I have found a nitrogen cylinder on the web that says it has a CGA 580 valve. Do you know what kind of or model number of “step-down” adapter I would need to attach to that cylinder the flow control fitting for helium tanks shown in the Peaceful Pill book?

I bought powder from China. The company assures me it is 99.3% pure. It passed the EXIT drug kit test but failed to melt even at 170 deg cel. What do I do now? Got a technical question? Ask Dr Ted! June - July 2011 Page 4 of 8 EXITORIAL censorship’s ugly head JUNE-JULY 2011 UPDATE - PPEH AS THIS edition of Deliverance goes to press, Exit IT HAS been four long months since the last update is increasingly concerned about the Government’s to the Peaceful Pill eHandbook. During this time, renewed zeal at censoring our country’s Internet Exit has been busy in the laboratory working on the communications. Only now they have enlisted various testing procedures for, amongst other things, the services of the country’s two biggest ISPs to do the assay of Chinese Nembutal powder. their bidding for them. In the media this week are reports that both Telstra and Optus will voluntarily With research and development always taking longer implement an Internet Filter starting in July. This than expected, it is with some relief that I am able development is nothing short of extraordinary to offer subscribers the long-awaited update (to given Telstra’s past objections to becoming the be published 30 June). In this update, we present Government’s censorship handmaiden. the results of our labours and I am pleased to say the results of testing are positive news. For a full There is little doubt that this turn of events has again explanation of the process and the outcomes, attend been influenced by the not-so-silent hand of the one of our forthcoming Exit Seminars (on Australia’s Australian Christian Lobby. On the ACLs website is east coast) or check the June-July edition of The glowing commendation of Prime Minister Gillard’s Peaceful Pill eHandbook at www.peacefulpill.com ongoing support of the Filter concept. Also included in this update is fresh information ACL CEO Jim Wallace writes: regarding the actions of Australian Customs. To date this year, Customs have made 20-plus interceptions “The Government’s move to give effect to our of illegal importations of Nembutal (powder and classification laws by using the internet filter liquid). This state of affairs came to light after the to close the loophole which allows legal but un- Murdoch press in obtained the statistics Christian overseas-hosted material into Australia under FOI. is an important step in repairing our un-Godly classification system,” Mr Wallace said. Vale - madeleine tilche Many Exit members will be very sad to learn that the “The next step will be to give the ACL board of founding Coordinator of the Exit Sydney Chapter, directors the power to veto all decisions made by the Madeleine Tilche, died at her Sydney home on 17 classification system.” May.

Exit will continue to work with civil liberties groups Madeleine brought incredible energy to her to stop the insidious spread of censorship that is volunteering at Exit. Working alongside Rod and currently being orchestrated by the Christian right. George for many years, under her leadership Sydney We encourage all Exit members to email, mail, fax the grew to become one of the country’s largest and most office of Minister (his email address active Chapters with over 100 members regularly is [email protected]) with their sentiments. As attending Exit meetings. one recent post to Exit’s ‘Single Shot’ video hosted on You Tube put it: The Sydney Chapter remains in need of a person to continue the wonderful work Madeleine began. ‘WHY THE F@#* IS THIS ON THE BLACKLIST I would ask anyone interested to please call me on WEBSITE FOR AUSTRALIA? 0407 189 339. June - July 2011 Page 5 of 8 What is new @ exit seminars? At Exit’s forthcoming East Coast tour, Dr Philip 2011 Mid year east coast tour Nitschke will highlight several new developments Commencing 1 July, Dr Philip Nitschke will embark relevant to one’s end of life choices. These include: on a 7-date tour of Australia’s east coast. The dates for Meetings/ Seminars are listed below. • Recent laboratory test results of Chinese Nem- butal Seminars are free for Exit members ($82.50 inc GST • DIY testing procedures for Nembutal powder ($7.50 for others). Attendees must be 50 years or over • Update on Mexican & Peruvian Nembutal and of sound mind. All attending must sign a legal • Developments in Nitrogen (disposable cylinders disclaimer on the day. Afternoon tea will be served. now available) A cut lunch will be offered ($15 pp) at the Melbourne meeting only. Lunch bookings close 1 July. Call 1300 Legal issues to be examined include: 10 3948 (EXIT) to book. • Update on the Activities of Australian Customs Wollongong / Sth Highlands, NSW • Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Friday 1 July, 1 - 5pm (Public Mtg 1 - 2pm; Guidelines? Can patients obtain Nembutal law- Seminar 2.30 - 5pm) fully from their doctor? Wollongong Tennis Club • VE in the Law Courts: from David Mathers to 37 Foleys St, Gwynneville 2500 Victor Rijn • Law reform update: Is SA next for a law? Central Coast, NSW Monday 4 July, 1 - 5pm (Public Mtg 1 - 2pm; Seminar 2.30 - 5pm) Kincumber Neighbourhood Centre 20 Kincumber St, Kincumber, 2251 Gold Coast, Qld Melbourne, Vic Wednesday 13 July, 1- 5pm Cancelled - due to illness Thursday 7 July, 11am - 4pm (Public Mtg 11am - 12 Carrara Community Centre, Nielsens Rd, Carrara 4211 noon; Seminar 1 - 4pm) The Toorak Library Townsville Qld 340 Toorak Rd, Sth Yarra Saturday 16 July, 1 - 5pm (Public Mtg 1 - 2pm; Seminar 2.30 - 5pm) Castlemaine/ Bendigo, Vic OES Hall, 48 Ingham Rd, West End 4810 Saturday 9 July, 11am - 4pm (Public Mtg 11am - 12 noon; Seminar 12.30 - 4pm) Sydney, NSW Bendigo Bank Theatre Thursday 21 July, 1.30 - 5pm (Seminar only) 50 View St, Bendigo Rex Centre, Potts Point (enter via Fitzroy Gardens)

Coffs Harbour, NSW Monday 11 July, 1 - 5pm Cancelled - due to illness NB Coffs Harbour & Gold Coast Rescheduled for Dec2011 Cavanbah Centre 191 Harbour Dve, Coffs Harbour

June - July 2011 Page 6 of 8 The fight for the memory of dr jack kevorkian

Since Dr Jack Kevorkian died in a Detroit hospital on 3 June, ‘Only a few doctors have stood up and said “Enough” to their a battle has emerged for the memory of the man, and his profession and society. Kevorkian seems to be one ... To be a deeds. Some in the right to die movement, in addition to hero does not mean being right - but it does mean being hon- editorials in the mainstream media, have slammed the actions est with yourself and acting on your own morality. It means of Dr Kevorkian, safe in their cowardly knowledge that the risking the fall from the pinnacle on which society has placed dead don’t answer back. doctors. The hero’s morality tests the morality of each of us. He demands that we choose either to stay safe among the pack or Exit has not been among those who have published and re- stand up and be counted among the few ... We need the hero to published these articles in vain attempts to rewrite history. make us uncomfortable. While The Oregoniannewspaper might think it fine to write: ‘Medicine needs heroes today. Patients who suffer need their ‘Leaders of the 1997 Oregon initiative to legalize physician- pain to be heard and felt. Those who are dying need our com- assisted suicide never let Dr. Jack Kevorkian near this state. mitment to stay with them throughout their journey. Those As the creepy face of assisted suicide, Kevorkian was as toxic as who suffer sickness because of society’s injustices need us to speak the poison that dripped from his homemade death machine.’ out for them. At a time when both personal and social suffering seem to be rising, more of us need to stand up and be counted Exit does not. Rather, Exit will remember this remarkable among the few who have said “Enough.”’ man with the same respect and compassion that he showed so many suffering and dying people.

In 1996 in the British Medical Journal, John Roberts and Carl Kjellstrand contributed an editorial titled ‘Jack Kevorkian: a medical hero’. While the piece would generate heated debate in subsequent editions of the Journal, it made many salient points through the nature of the questions put.

‘Until Jack Kevorkian began his crusade, physician assisted su- icide and euthanasia could be found in two places in America ...one was in the medical literature ... the other was the real world of medical practice ... behind closed doors ... Then in 1990 a man who had practised pathology in relative obscurity focused what had been a diffuse discussion into a passionate debate ...’ Vale - Dr Jack Kevorkian

vale - madeleine tilche IT WAS with great sadness that Exit learned of the passing of the founding Sydney Chapter Coordinator, Madeleine Tilche. Madeleine died true to her Exit values, peacefully at her home in St Ives in mid May. She will be fondly remembered by all Sydney members as the vibrant, compassionate and dedicated face of Exit for many years. She is survived by her children and grandchildren who, while deeply affected by their loss, are proud of their mother and her strong commitment to Exit’s principles and work. June - July 2011 Page 7 of 8 Exit International Store (US) Mail Order: Box 4250 Bellingham WA 98227 USA Fax 1-360-844-1501 Phone: 1-248-809-4435

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