SAVES is not affiliated with Exit International / Dr Philip Nitschke and opposes the public availability of a 'peaceful pill'.

Federal government censorship around voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide does not stop at the passage of the Criminal Code Amendment (Suicide Related Material Offences) Law 2005 which curtails freedom of speech on ‘electronic carriage services’ including emails, faxes and telephone. In December 2006 the Classification Board approved the Australian printed edition of ‘The Peaceful Pill Handbook’ written by Dr Philip Nitschke and Dr Fiona Stewart. This sealed edition could be sold to people over 18 years of age. In September 2006 customs had prohibited an overseas edition, and due to pressure by the NSW Right to Life Association, Attorney General Philip Ruddock called for a ‘review’ of the Australian Classification Board, a board which he himself had appointed. On the 24th February 2007 the book was banned from sale.

In a letter published in The Australian newspaper on 26th February, SAVES task force member Associate Professor Arnold Gillespie made the pertinent comments:

Dear Editor

Once again we are the laughing stock of the democratic world. A year ago our government made it illegal for even consenting adults to discuss suicide and related matters by telephone or email. Two months ago the Classification Review Board gave the book The Peaceful Pill Handbook, by Drs Nitschke and Stewart, a Restricted Classification. The contents of the book have not changed since then but after a complaint by the Attorney General and the NSW Right to Life Association, the Board has banned the book. Australia is the only country in the world in which the book is banned. You may not agree with anything that the book details but surely you want to live in a society that allows you to determine that for yourself. Or are you happy for a government with a strong Christian Right component and a state fringe group of Right to Lifers to do that for you?

Arnold Gillespie