A number of older Australians are joining forces to make the suicide drug nembutal available. This drug is illegal in Australia and this open act of civil disobedience puts these people at risk of severe penalties. But why should they have to go through this when the vast majority of Australians want legal access to voluntary euthanasia anyway?

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=265577&_cobr=optus

Rex,I agree.Many of our aged get to the stage of being too diminished both physically and intellectually to be able to determine their time of exit."They shoot horses don't they?",and we relieve animals we love of agony when their lives become agonising.

People should be able to determine their time of exit from life with family members around demonstrating their love,without any interference from religious do gooders or Govt officialdom.

If the law does not change many will end their lives prematurely for fear of being trapped in some nursing home being incontinent,incompetent and totally incapicitated without any human dignity.Suffering at this stage in life does not make us better people,only suffering slaves to the ideologues of those who have not a clue.

We have no say in being born,at least we should have the right to have a say in our own end.

Rex, there are strong arguments for euthanasia,for the right to choose one's own time of death and the dignity this would allow.
But I think that no law could be drafted that would cover every contingency and bring about the didnity desired. Actually, I reckon the opposite is likely to happen-an ugly chaos of lawmaking to cover family disputes and horrific legal cases. I've seen and heard of enough greed and selfishness over the estates of both the living and the dead to know that legalising euthanasia would open the gates not just to the just, but to any amount of unspeakable behaviour as well.
Euthanasia already exists in numerous instances between 'consenting adults', thru the decision to cease or withhold treatments. I think that this is about as good as it gets.
So fine in theory, but will not work in practise.

Thank you, Rex.
I agree that this suicide drug should be available- but I am not very optimistic that this will happen in the near future, at least not as long as we have a government that controls Australians by interferance such as taking books of shelves about such issues.
The book titled The Peaceful Pill was banned recently- the author acknowledges that Nembutal is the most peaceful way people can commit suicide, but he offers realistic alternatives as well, for people who cannot obtain these powerful sedatives.

We are stuck (for the time being) with a minister for the aging, Christopher Pyne (did you see him on the Insight program about euthanasia?). He adamently said that he would never allow promotion of suicide. It’s clear that he endorses policy according to his religion.

There’s a good Christian for you! A Christian who supports natural death and watches as people are being pulled of life support and either starve slowly or choke to death.
What a horrible, inhumane experience not only for the terminally ill patient but for the family as well. Arjay is right, we treat terminally ill animals with more dignity. I find it very distressing to think about the plight of our aged people.

Why deny person a peaceful, quick death with less suffering?

What surprised me on that euthanasia program was that only about 30% of the people who were accepted by a Swiss euthanasia clinic took advantage of it. For them, it was enough to merely have the permission as a back-up plan. They coped better with their disease and their pain after they were accepted by the clinic, and on average, 70% never go back to be euthanised.

I strongly feel that the Nembutal pills will give people peace of mind; it is comforting to know that this pill is there “in case”. They won’t have to be scared of the future, of more suffering and pain. Knowing that they are able to end it at any time may give them more courage and strength to go on living.

I also agree with the euthanasia for older Australians. What gives the government the right to tell us what we want? I am only 35 but have a "living will" as does my husband. This is a legal document which allows either one of us to turn off any machine that is keeping us alive. I think that Nembutal is a great pill to let the elder people die with some dignity and no more pain. Hopefully when I am elder it will be available. I agree with Celevia about us being humane to animals and not humans.

I must say that I was bemused and impressed, by that bunch of
oldies in the programme, who clearly want to make decisions about
their own lives, then spent 2 years to make their own Nembutal.
Congratulations to them!

If the law is clearly wrong, as in this case, only people power
can change it. These people kind of reminded me of the hippy
generation of the 60s, who did their old thing, did it en masse,
told the old fart generation of Ronald Reagan etc to get lost
and landed up changing the world.

Now its a bunch of clearly intelligent oldies, telling a few
religiously driven young farts to get lost. Great stuff!

In one sense the internet will change the world, as it takes us
beyond controling Governments. Somebody somewhere will create
a website telling us how to make our own Nebuntal, so that we can
all have that option of making decisions about our lives,
when the time comes. Flying to Switzerland in that condition
and at that age, might not be possible.

If the religious think that suffering is noble or whatever, fine
thats their choice. I prefer my own choices, not theirs to be
forced on me