KIM WHEATLEY
May 01, 2007 02:15am

The Advertiser

FORTY South Australians will attend a workshop today to learn how to end their lives.

Euthanasia campaigner Dr Philip Nitschke admits his day-long workshops are borderline illegal but authorities have failed to close them.
Most who attend are elderly and in reasonable health, a state Dr Nitschke prefers as they are better able to deal with the information.

The morning will be set aside for theory while the afternoon is a hands-on practical workshop.

That includes a lesson in “kitchen chemistry” to extend the life of the death drug Nembutal.

People will also be shown how to control the flow of helium gas which is used in conjunction with the so-called “exit bag” or plastic bag.

Dr Nitschke has just completed the workshop in Sydney, where 50 people turned up for what he describes as “practical end of life choices which stops the elderly from worrying”.

Despite the February banning of his book The Peaceful Pill, and Federal Government legislation prohibiting the assistance of suicide via the phone or internet, he is able to continue with his workshops.

“When information is transmitted by telephone it would be in clear breach of the law,” he said.

“We’re actually talking face-to-face, so there’s no outlawing at this stage of the rights of association. We can still get away with it.”

He also says it would be different if his group was giving tools to people to end their lives. “If we just made it and gave it to them there’d be a strong legal case,” he said. “But they’re doing it themselves.”

The Australian Medical Association said doctors would have difficulty endorsing workshops which proposed ending life rather than relieving pain and suffering.

“Taking people who have a chronic illness, which is some of the people Dr Nitschke tends to embrace who don’t have a life threatening condition, it becomes much more difficult to put controls and conditions around that sort of process,” AMA (SA) president Dr Chris Cain said.

Right to Life Australia president Margaret Tighe called for the workshops to be banned. “They’re very dangerous,” she said.

This article is interesting. It has a massive impact culturally because its a topic that has stark contrasting opinions. The uproar that this story could cause through many culture groups is quite startling because every religion and cultural group would have their own opinion about it.

NEWS VALUES

Impact/Consequence – Yes, it is a rather important aspect of life, or death technically, and could potentially impact a lot of people.

Conflict – Yes, this issues is the epitome of conflict. It is a conflict even if it only views one side of the story as the readers already know the other side.

Timeliness – Yes, it says today, therefore noting that its timeliness is spot on.

Proximity – It is here in Australia so yes close proximity.

Prominence – Yes, it speaks of doctors and the medical board. All of which are held as quite prominent in society

Currency – Yes, Euthanasia is a topic that continues to arise, so currency is there. 

Human Interest – No, just hard facts. No softer side to this story.

Unusual/Novelty – Not really, it is a rather unusual school to have but isnt novelty.