The forthcoming Exit 20th Anniversary conference is titled ‘From Voluntary Euthanasia to Rational Suicide’.<\/p>\n
But what are we talking about?<\/p>\n
Generally speaking, VE – voluntary euthanasia is the catch-all term that means an assisted death. Euthanasia comes from the Greek, meaning good death.<\/p>\n
Voluntary speaks for itself (although as some Christian groups would argue, there is nothing voluntary about it. Silly them).<\/p>\n
In more technical talk, however, voluntary euthanasia can also mean a lethal injection. This is when a doctor can lawfully help a person to die. Hands on help, if you like. This is the model used in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.<\/p>\n
In Darwin in 1996, this is kind of what Dr Philip Nitschke did when he helped four patients to die under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act<\/em> (ROTI)<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Although Dr Nitschke built a Deliverance Machine so he would not have to administer the lethal injection.\u00a0 While Dr Nitschke believed passionately in a person’s right to choose to die. He did not want to be the one doing the ‘killing’.<\/p>\n The Rights of the Terminally Ill Act<\/em> lasted nine months before being over turned by the Federal Parliament of Australia in March 1997, as a result of a conscience vote. The Private Members Bill that led to the defeat of the NT’s law was Mr Kevin Andrews.<\/p>\n As a kind of semantic difference to VE sits Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) which has more recently morphed into to VAD – Voluntary Assisted Dying.<\/p>\n Each of these latter terms involve a physician prescribing a lethal drug to a patient. The patient however must be able to drink the lethal drug themselves.\u00a0 There is no hands-on assistance. This is the legal model in the US states of Oregon, Washington, Vermont and California. Canada too will follow this approach.<\/p>\n Regardless of what term you use, all of these involve the medical profession.<\/p>\n Exit International works alongside these legal frameworks by providing information about euthanasia, assisted suicide, or whatever you would like to call it.<\/p>\n Moving on 20 years and we have arrived at ‘rational suicide’.<\/p>\n Rational suicide can be defined as the act of dying by one’s own hand after careful consideration.<\/p>\n Rational Suicide is an informed and considered decision (unlike the irrational suicide of depressed teens).<\/p>\n Rational Suicide does not depend upon the medical profession providing permission or the means of death.<\/p>\n Two recent examples of rational suicide are that of renowned psychology Professor in the US, Sandy Bem. See the New York Times<\/em> article<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n In Australia, scientists Peter and Pat Shaw rationally suicided together. This was written about in detail in the Sydney Morning Herald<\/em><\/a> <\/strong>in January 2016.<\/p>\n To this end, Exit is holding its 20th anniversary conference on the journey that has been undertaken from a time when a patient could receive a lethal injection from a doctor, to now when a person can rationally plan when and how they will die without medical interference.<\/p>\n The Exit Conference that will be held at the State Library of Victoria on 22 – 23 September 2016 features speakers who have much to contribute to how we can understand the right to die debate.<\/p>\n Australian historian Dr Deb Campbell<\/strong> will examine how the Australian right to die debate has become stultified in old frameworks of understanding and a discourse that is going nowhere.<\/p>\n US Law Professor Susan Stefan<\/strong> will consider if rational suicide \/ assisted dying is a medical treatment or a civil right.<\/p>\n Dr Lieve Thienpont<\/strong>, a Belgium psychatrist will explain how rational suicide is provided for under Belgium’s voluntary euthanasia laws.<\/p>\n Ms Anny Shaw<\/strong>, daughter of Peter and Pat Shaw, shall speak about her and her sisters’ experience of her parents rational suicide pact.<\/p>\n If you are in Melbourne in September you are invited to come along.<\/p>\n This historic conference is destined to be a gathering like none other.<\/p>\n