Posts ….if they tell you how to kill yourself.
BACKGROUND
Australia’s Federal Attorney General is appealing a decision by the Office of Film and Literature Classification to allow the sale in Australia of Philip Nitshke‘s new book, the Peaceful Pill Handbook.
Dr Nitschke is a prominent voluntary euthanasia campaigner notorious for inventing the “suicide machine“. This includes software to ensure voluntary consent from a terminally ill patient and then allow self administered lethal injection. He has been working toward finding a “mix it yourself” cocktail of drugs to create a “peaceful pill”, which can be used to end life.
The book, which looks like it has very specific factual information about means of death, is being sold online through Exit International: a peaceful death is everyone’s right.
In December 2006, the Office of Film and Literature Classification decided to provide The Peaceful Pill Handbook with a ‘Restricted Class 1′ Classification. This meant that althought the book was still a Prohibited Import and subject to seizure by Customs – the book could be published and distributed in Australia under strict controls.
The International Edition, which is for sale in US and Canada is in its third print run. He again works with Dr Fiona Stewart, who co-authored his earlier book: “Killing me softly” voluntary euthanasia and the road to the Peaceful Pill, available through Amazon.
MY DILEMMA
I’m a philosophy subject librarian in a university that teaches an Ethics program, so I’m asking myself whether I’d recommend it for our shelves. My cop-out answer is that like all purchases, I’d check with the course controller, and then if I was still unsure, I’d ask my supervisor. OK – but what do I REALLY think?
CON
Our university is full of people in a turbulent time of their lives. Young males have the highest rate of suicide, and they make up a high proportion of our students. I know that traditional Australian media usually don’t report suicides (murder/suicides excepted) in fear of copy cat deaths. Maybe a book like Nitschke’s could be used for murder as well as suicide?
PRO
I believe part of my job involves protecting the right of my readers to make up their own minds, by offering all sides of the story – even those I don’t agree with. People are scared of suicide to an extent that they possibly block out signs of likely self harm in others, and this book might create understanding. Nitschke has stated that his position has been influenced by Dr Peter Singer, and this would illustrate a practical extension of the arguments of someone who is required reading by our students.
My mind weighs on the side of the PROs and my gut on the side of the CONs. Given my doubt, I’d purchase the book…we’re not a public library and what else are university libraries for if not to provide greater understanding? (But I wonder how I’d feel if I found it on one of my boy’s bedroom floor?)
I can understand that dilemma. I too would be hard pushed to make the choice, but would end up doing the same as you – that is purchasing it, although I would probably put it on restricted access.
Restricted access..hmm…we do have a “special collections” status for things in storage that take a day to obtain. Now THERE’S a thought.
Although, you have to fill in a form with your personal details to do that…and is it any of our business?
I think there’s an entire blog post in that one
Hi Kathryn, here’s what I’d consider if I were in your shoes: (1) Is acquiring the said material considered relevant to what my employer expects of me? In this case, is it relevant to the faculty/ students? (2) Is alternative information available? (3) What concerns would my employer have? I might as well get their inputs on the matter, after I’ve provided them a recommendation; (4) Related to item 3 is how much lee-way my employer gives me to make decisions like this, without consulting them.
If I decide to acquire the item, but still have concerns over access, I’d put some “restrictions” or “controls” in place, e.g. available to all, but upon request. I presume only library members have the right to request?
I must qualify that I don’t know enough about your workplace, customer’s needs & expectations, work-culture, privacy policy etc. I’m just using your post as a good excuse for a brief mental exercise
Hi Ivan. Thanks.
Let’s run it through your filter….1)Yes – ethics course 2)Alternative – hard to find and probably on the “hidden net” 3) Seeking input would be step one 4) Wouldn’t do it for something like this…even if I had absolute leeway, I’d still want to chat to someone in the library about what they thought.
Anyone can request restricted materials, as far as I know. I guess having it on restricted access is better than not having it at all. A more pragmatic reason is that this is the type of book that always goes missing (along with the witchcraft, world war two and sex books).
I agree, it’s an interesting mental exercise..I may just run it past the ethics lecturer and see what questions she has in her toolkit for dealing with this type of dilemma.
Hi Kathryn,
I think the need to acquire current, relevant resources on this subject far outweighs the risks in this particular case. But it is a really good question to be asking, and suicide among young males is an important issue to keep in mind in your position. As former philosophy student and depressive, I appreciate your sensitivity.
I think, though, that most young males do not ‘euthanase’ themselves in the way that Dr Nitshke addresses . Youth suicide is culturally embedded in youth culture – drug and alcohol abuse, cars, etc – and, most awfully, in more dramatic and horrible ways of ending life. The book isn’t going to provide them with some technique they had been crucially lacking. I don’t think those who attempt suicide do much research. In fact, if I found this book on my child’s floor, I’d be less worried. The philosophy of euthanasia (‘good death’) is intimately and conceptually connected to ideas about the value and preciousness of life, and how people in totally different circumstances (the old and physically ill) have to consider their existence.
Thanks Matthew. You’re right about the suicide methods…and I suspect that people investigating suicide are charitable when they interpret a reckless death. I’d say a proportion of our road toll is actually suicide. Same goes for many “accidental” deaths.
A friend who tried to kill himself told me that he “just wanted to end the pain” – emotional, not physical. I would be concerned about young people, maybe young women with low self esteem – who “didn’t want to be any trouble” – choosing a gentle way to end life, and finding methods in the book. Then again, if they are determined to do themselves in, and will do it by whatever means possible, maybe it’s actually compassionate to provide the information.
I think you are right. Discussions about euthanasia should be had, and not just in whispers when the kids have gone to bed.
I do not believe in banning books but I struggle with this issue as well. I work in a public library and it is not my job to purchase materials. However, I would be squirming if I had to consider this book. A library also has to make choices about where it puts its budget and I would think in the case of the public library, this would not be a well-circulated book.
Other books that make me squirm are about the notorious killer couple Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo who terrorized the local area as young girls went missing. It is just too close to home to want to read these graphic stories.
http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/bernardo/index_1.html
However, the reality is that even if we don’t have certain books, they are available through Interlibrary Loan, making any title from anywhere in Canada available to our patrons.
Take the “Banned Book Challenge.”
http://pelhamlibrary.blogspot.com/2007/02/take-banned-book-challenge.html
Elaine – yes a public library would not be the place for this book. But, what if a patron asked you to supply it and there were no copies available for interlibrary loan? Then what?
I guess in the case of an Australian library, given the complete ban, a patron would not have access. However, I think we would be able to get it from one of our public libraries. If it were not available at a public library, we would still have the option of getting it from a university library with some cost involved.
I’m not sure what all of the fuss is about. There is a book called Final Exit that has been out for years that goes into methods, I believe. It is in our library as we speak. I have to be honest and say that I haven’t even glanced through either book, so I don’t know if we are talking about the same issues.
Would I purchase Peaceful Pill Handbook? I suppose that would be an option. Would I have some qualms? Yes. But my decision would still have to be based on what will circulate. I see that it has been on the bestseller list. Does that mean that a lot of people want to know how to do themselves in? I don’t think so. But it does make me wonder if it would also be a high circulating book, although it has been shown that bestseller and most borrowed lists are often quite different.
I am sure that if someone really wants to end their life, there are a myriad of ways and lots of information on the internet. It’s like learning to build a bomb. If you look hard enough, you can find the information.
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