Philip Nitschke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Philip Nitschke
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Nitschke in 2016
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| Born | 8 August 1947 Ardrossan, South Australia, Australia
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| Education | University of Adelaide (B.Sc.) Flinders University (PhD), University of Sydney (Sydney Medical School) (M.B.B.S.) |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Physician and author |
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Philip Haig Nitschke (/ˈnɪtʃkɪ/; born 8 August 1947) is an Australian humanist, author, former physician. Nitschke was the first doctor in the world to administer a legal, voluntary, lethal injection, after which the patient activated the syringe using a computer. Nitschke states that he and his group are regularly subject to harassment by authorities. In 2015, Nitschke burned his medical practising certificate in response to what he saw as onerous conditions that violated his right to free speech, imposed on him by the Medical Board of Australia. Nitschke has been referred to in the media as "Dr Death".
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Early life and education
Nitschke was born in 1947 in Ardrossan, South Australia, the son of school teachers Harold and Gweneth (Gwen) Nitschke. Nitschke studied physics at the University of Adelaide, gaining a PhD from Flinders University in laser physics in 1972.
Rejecting a career in the sciences, he instead travelled to the Northern Territory to take up work with the Aboriginal land rights activist Vincent Lingiari and the Gurindji at Wave Hill. After the hand-back of land by the prime minister, Gough Whitlam, Nitschke became a Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife ranger. However, after badly injuring his subtalar joint, which effectively finished his career as a ranger, he began studying for a medical degree. In addition to having long been interested in studying medicine he has suffered from hypochondria most of his adult life and futilely hoped with his medical studies to educate himself out of the problem.
He graduated from the University of Sydney Medical School in 1989.
Early career
After graduating Nitschke worked as an intern at Royal Darwin Hospital, and then as an after-hours general practitioner.
In the 1996 Australian federal election Nitschke ran in the seat of the Northern Territory for the Australian Greens but was unsuccessful.
After the ROTI Act was nullified Nitschke began providing advice to others about how they can end their lives, leading to the formation of Exit International in 1997. A notable case of Nitschke's was that of Nancy Crick, aged 69. On 22 May 2002, Crick, in the presence of over 20 friends and family (but not Nitschke), took a lethal dose of barbiturates, went quickly to sleep, and died within 20 minutes. Nitschke had encouraged Crick to enter palliative care, which she did for a number of days before returning home again. She had undergone multiple surgeries to treat bowel cancer and was left with multiple dense and inoperable bowel adhesions that left her in constant pain and frequently in the toilet with diarrhoea. She was not, however, terminally ill at the time of her death. Nitschke said the scar tissue from previous cancer surgery had caused her suffering. "She didn't actually want to die when she had cancer. She wanted to die after she had cancer treatment," he said.
In the 2007 Australian federal election Nitschke ran against the Australian politician Kevin Andrews in the Victorian seat of Menzies but was unsuccessful.
Operation Painter
In October 2016 New Zealand police, in a "sting" operation code named "Operation Painter", set up roadblocks (checkpoints) outside an Exit International meeting and took down names and addresses of all attendees. Some of the elderly members of the group were later visited at their homes by police with warrants, and searches were conducted. Computers, tablets, cameras, letters and books were seized. Nitschke said police actions were unprecedented and probably in breach of the Bill of Rights, which guaranteed freedom of association. The police operation was the subject of an Independent Police Conduct Authority investigation. Legal action against the police followed. In March 2018, the Independent Police Conduct Authority found Operation Painter to be illegal.
This coincided with another action by New Zealand police in which 76-year old Patsy McGrath, a member of Nitschke's Exit group, had her home raided in 2016 and her store-bought helium balloon cylinder confiscated under warrant. The confiscation of the cylinder was later found to be illegal and it was returned to her in 2018.
Censorship
Internet
On 22 May 2009 it was disclosed in the press, citing WikiLeaks, that the Australian Government had added the online Peaceful Pill Handbook to the blacklist maintained by the Australian Communications and Media Authority used to filter internet access to citizens of Australia. The Australian Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, planned to introduce legislation just before the 2010 election to make internet service providers block a blacklist of "refused classification" websites. The blacklist is expected to include Exit's websites and other similar sites.
In April 2010 Nitschke began holding a series of "Hacking Masterclasses" to teach people how to circumvent the Australian internet filter. Access to Nitschke's online Peaceful Pill Handbook was blocked during trials of the government's filter.
Nitschke said Exit International would investigate if it could set up its own proxy server or VPN tunnel, so its members had a safe way of accessing its information.
In January 2018, YouTube deleted Nitschke's YouTube channel "Exityourtube". The channel had been operating for 10 years. YouTube gave no reason why the account was deleted without notice.
Comedian
Nitschke began his comedy career at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2015 with his show Dicing with Dr Death. ThreeWeeks called it "engaging and highly thought-provoking". He performed a newer Australian version of his show, retitled Practising without a License, at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in April 2016 and again in Darwin in August 2016. The Herald Sun reviewed his performance favorably: "[Nitschke] "presented his case with such measure, warm humour and intelligence that even his puns were excusable".
Awards and recognition
- In 1996 Nitschke received the Rainier Foundation Humanitarian Award
- In 1998 Nitschke was recognised as the Australian Humanist of the Year by the Council of Australian Humanist Societies.
- He is a nine-time nominee for Australian of the Year (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) and twice a state finalist (2005 & 2006)
Books
Nitschke is the author of three books:
The Peaceful Pill Handbook
The Peaceful Pill Handbook print edition was originally published in the U.S. in 2006, written by Nitschke and partner Fiona Stewart; the eHandbook version is updated six times a year. Prohibited or at limited sale in Australia and New Zealand.
In 2008 the on-line version of the handbook was launched.
- A German edition of the print book — Die Friedliche Pille — was published in 2011 and is published also online.
- A French edition — La Pilule Paisible — since re-titled Pilule Douce was published in June 2015 and is published also online.
- An Italian edition – La Pillola della Quiete was published in online format in 2017
- A Dutch edition – Handboek De Vredige Pil was published in print and online formats in 2018.
Damned If I Do
An autobiography (with Peter Corris); published by Melbourne University Press in 2013. Nitschke's personal story from his early days, to his activist student days in Adelaide, to working with Aboriginal land rights groups in Australia's Far North.
Film and television
35 Letters
In 2014 Nitschke featured in the documentary 35 Letters about Australian woman Angelique Flowers. Angelique was a young member of Exit International. She was 30 years old when she died of bowel cancer. The film premiered at the Sydney Film Festival in 2014 where it won the Australian Foundation Award.
See also
In Spanish: Philip Nitschke para niños
- Terminal illness
- Jack Kevorkian
