NuTech's workshop at the recent Paris workshop
NuTech's workshop at the recent Paris workshop
-- Bob Levine reports
The following is a special report extracted from the Final Exit Network's New Jersey affiliate newsletter. Quote:
Interesting Papers Presented at the World Federation
Bob Levine, Leader of the NJ Affiliate and a board member of Final Exit Network, was appointed as one of the two delegates to the Paris meeting. His report follows:
The plenary session was dominated by the French, who were hosting the meeting. Most of their reports were the well known tales of the misery and suffering by those who want to die but are not able to do so. There were however, a few notable presentations.
Dr. Gustavo Alfonso Quintana of Colombia, S.A. reported in great detail how he had for years performed euthanasia on many of his patients who had asked to die. Although euthanasia is not legal in Colombia, it is apparently not illegal, as no one has ever tried to prosecute Dr. Quintana. When queried on whether he would do the same for a foreigner, he said that such a person would have to come to Columbia and become his patient. No details of how to do so or how long that would take were provided.
The most interesting papers were those presented at the NuTech session (on 1 Nov 08).
NuTech is a separate organization formed in the late 1990's by John L. Hofess, Derek Humphry and others. It was originally entitled, "The Self Deliverance New Technology Group" but has been shortened to NuTech. Its objectives were to find ways for non-medical people to end their lives in a safe, sure and legal method. NuTech set up 12 criteria to accomplish this. Among them was that death was to be swift, painless, sure, simple, inexpensive and legal.
One of the methods developed by NuTech is the helium method as described in Derek Humphry's book, "Final Exit", 3rd, Ed. www.finalexit.org/ergo-store
A brief history of NuTech titled 'In Search of a Gentle Death' by Richard N. Cote is newly available from Corinthian Books, at www.corinthianbooks.com
NuTech Presentations
1. Russell Ogden of Vancouver Canada gave a survey of the origin of the helium method which will appear in a paper to be published in 2009. He surveyed hundreds of such deaths over many years, many of which he personally witnessed. He reported that the goals NuTech had established were easily met with the helium method. He reported that on average, once the patient had the bag positioned, he or she took about 3 breaths, was unconscious in 10 seconds and stopped breathing in three minutes because the blood oxygen level, as measured with an Oximeter attached to the finger, had dropped precipitously. There was no evidence of pain and the person was dead in less than 10 minutes, although there was some discussion about the time it could take to die.
2. Prof. Margaret Battin, University of Utah, presented her findings of a study of the "Slippery Slope" argument against Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS). Prof. Battin collected data from all the suicides in Oregon and in Holland over comparable time periods (many years). She systematically addressed each of the arguments presented by the slippery slope advocates, such as the over encouragement of suicide for vulnerable older women, uninsured, poor or ill informed people or those with poor social skills, various racial or ethnic groups, minors, those with psychiatric problems and other categories. In none of the cases did she find they were any more at risk than those in the general population, except for those withe AIDS patients. In most cases there were more suicides in the groups studied in the general population than in those who had PAS. She said that with the great strides made in treating AIDS, she doubted that even that category would now show any difference. Ref: "Legal physician-assisted dying in Oregon and the Netherlands: evidence concerning the impact on patients in 'vulnerable' groups."
3. Dr. B. E. Chabot, a psychiatrist in the Netherlands reported on his study of "Hastened Death by the use of Stopping Eating and Drinking (STED)". This is of particular interest because it is a method preferred by those for whom the helium method is not acceptable. His presentation was a little too complicated to summarize in full here, but it is very difficult to do alone, preferably requires palliative drugs in the early stages, can be very uncomfortable unless one gets frequent mouth care and, depending on how rigorously the plan is followed, can take from 7 to 30 days to accomplish. More details can be found in his book "A Hastened Death by Self-Denial of Food and Drink", Boudewijn Chabot, MD, Ph.D. Available from the Scotch group FATE, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Price, 15 Euros plus postage.
4. Dr Rodney Syme, a 72 year-old Australian doctor is Victoria, Australia's Dr. Death. Quietly, clinically, and for many years, he has "helped" people with advice and with the drug, Nembutal, a barbiturate that ends life. He described how he has been quietly helping his patients who no longer care to live end their lives painlessly. His report originally appeared in The Age newspaper in Australia titled, "Fight to the Death" by Nick Miller, April 26, 2008. The full report is available in the archives of ERGO and is quoted from herein..
He has, in the past few years, increasingly turned to activism. On the steps of the Australian Parliament he defiantly confessed to helping an esophageal cancer sufferer die two years ago. "I gave him information about barbiturates and I gave him the medication," he told a pro-euthanasia rally. Next to him was a wheelchair-bound motor neurone disease sufferer. "I have given him the same advice and assistance."
Syme has just published, through Melbourne University Press, a book called, A Good Death, in which he tells the stories of 15 of the patients he has advised. He repeatedly dares the authorities to do something about his actions, and their refusal both relieves and frustrates him.
-- Bob Levine reports
The following is a special report extracted from the Final Exit Network's New Jersey affiliate newsletter. Quote:
Interesting Papers Presented at the World Federation
Bob Levine, Leader of the NJ Affiliate and a board member of Final Exit Network, was appointed as one of the two delegates to the Paris meeting. His report follows:
The plenary session was dominated by the French, who were hosting the meeting. Most of their reports were the well known tales of the misery and suffering by those who want to die but are not able to do so. There were however, a few notable presentations.
Dr. Gustavo Alfonso Quintana of Colombia, S.A. reported in great detail how he had for years performed euthanasia on many of his patients who had asked to die. Although euthanasia is not legal in Colombia, it is apparently not illegal, as no one has ever tried to prosecute Dr. Quintana. When queried on whether he would do the same for a foreigner, he said that such a person would have to come to Columbia and become his patient. No details of how to do so or how long that would take were provided.
The most interesting papers were those presented at the NuTech session (on 1 Nov 08).
NuTech is a separate organization formed in the late 1990's by John L. Hofess, Derek Humphry and others. It was originally entitled, "The Self Deliverance New Technology Group" but has been shortened to NuTech. Its objectives were to find ways for non-medical people to end their lives in a safe, sure and legal method. NuTech set up 12 criteria to accomplish this. Among them was that death was to be swift, painless, sure, simple, inexpensive and legal.
One of the methods developed by NuTech is the helium method as described in Derek Humphry's book, "Final Exit", 3rd, Ed. www.finalexit.org/ergo-store
A brief history of NuTech titled 'In Search of a Gentle Death' by Richard N. Cote is newly available from Corinthian Books, at www.corinthianbooks.com
NuTech Presentations
1. Russell Ogden of Vancouver Canada gave a survey of the origin of the helium method which will appear in a paper to be published in 2009. He surveyed hundreds of such deaths over many years, many of which he personally witnessed. He reported that the goals NuTech had established were easily met with the helium method. He reported that on average, once the patient had the bag positioned, he or she took about 3 breaths, was unconscious in 10 seconds and stopped breathing in three minutes because the blood oxygen level, as measured with an Oximeter attached to the finger, had dropped precipitously. There was no evidence of pain and the person was dead in less than 10 minutes, although there was some discussion about the time it could take to die.
2. Prof. Margaret Battin, University of Utah, presented her findings of a study of the "Slippery Slope" argument against Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS). Prof. Battin collected data from all the suicides in Oregon and in Holland over comparable time periods (many years). She systematically addressed each of the arguments presented by the slippery slope advocates, such as the over encouragement of suicide for vulnerable older women, uninsured, poor or ill informed people or those with poor social skills, various racial or ethnic groups, minors, those with psychiatric problems and other categories. In none of the cases did she find they were any more at risk than those in the general population, except for those withe AIDS patients. In most cases there were more suicides in the groups studied in the general population than in those who had PAS. She said that with the great strides made in treating AIDS, she doubted that even that category would now show any difference. Ref: "Legal physician-assisted dying in Oregon and the Netherlands: evidence concerning the impact on patients in 'vulnerable' groups."
3. Dr. B. E. Chabot, a psychiatrist in the Netherlands reported on his study of "Hastened Death by the use of Stopping Eating and Drinking (STED)". This is of particular interest because it is a method preferred by those for whom the helium method is not acceptable. His presentation was a little too complicated to summarize in full here, but it is very difficult to do alone, preferably requires palliative drugs in the early stages, can be very uncomfortable unless one gets frequent mouth care and, depending on how rigorously the plan is followed, can take from 7 to 30 days to accomplish. More details can be found in his book "A Hastened Death by Self-Denial of Food and Drink", Boudewijn Chabot, MD, Ph.D. Available from the Scotch group FATE, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Price, 15 Euros plus postage.
4. Dr Rodney Syme, a 72 year-old Australian doctor is Victoria, Australia's Dr. Death. Quietly, clinically, and for many years, he has "helped" people with advice and with the drug, Nembutal, a barbiturate that ends life. He described how he has been quietly helping his patients who no longer care to live end their lives painlessly. His report originally appeared in The Age newspaper in Australia titled, "Fight to the Death" by Nick Miller, April 26, 2008. The full report is available in the archives of ERGO and is quoted from herein..
He has, in the past few years, increasingly turned to activism. On the steps of the Australian Parliament he defiantly confessed to helping an esophageal cancer sufferer die two years ago. "I gave him information about barbiturates and I gave him the medication," he told a pro-euthanasia rally. Next to him was a wheelchair-bound motor neurone disease sufferer. "I have given him the same advice and assistance."
Syme has just published, through Melbourne University Press, a book called, A Good Death, in which he tells the stories of 15 of the patients he has advised. He repeatedly dares the authorities to do something about his actions, and their refusal both relieves and frustrates him.