MB Civic

The 2012 edition of The Peaceful Pill Handbook represents the first whole-of-book rewrite since it was first published in 2006. The new edition includes 4 complete chapters on the Barbiturates including online and offline sources, testing, storage, manufacture and administration. Other chapters include the use of inert gases (Nitrogen, Helium, Argon) and the Exit bag, the role of poisons such as carbon monoxide, cyanide and detergents, a new updated chapter on everything you need to know about the Swiss Option and prescription drugs. Legal issues and procedures such as autopsies, suicide notes and inquests are also considered. To help the reader compare approaches, Exit has developed its unique Reliability Peacefulness Test which analyses criteria such as: Reliability, Peacefulness, Availability, Preparation, Undetectable, Speed, Safety, Storage for each method. The Peaceful Pill Handbook is for Seniors, folk who are seriously ill and their families.

About the Author
Dr Philip H. Nitschke MD PhD is a world leading figure in the end-of-life choices movement. An Australian by birth, he is the Founder and Director of the non-profit, Exit International, which has offices in Australia, the US and Europe. Philip holds a PhD is applied physics and is a graduate of Sydney University Medical School. Dr Nitschke is the recipient of many awards for his humanitarian work and is an eight-time nominee for Australian of the Year. Philip is the author of two other books, the online Peaceful Pill eHandbook and Killing Me Softly: Voluntary Euthanasia and the Road to the Peaceful Pill (also published by Exit International US, originally published in 2005 by Penguin).

As the population ages and some become really sick, there should be a way out that is both peaceful and painless. I don’t know why this is such a controversial topic. It will become THE topic as baby boomers age. I highly recommend reading this book even if you are not considering ending your life right now. You always want be prepared if it becomes necessary. The most important part of the book to me is how to obtain the drug Nebutal. This is by far the best solution but it requires a lot of effort to obtain it. It is just ridiculous that your pet is entitled to a peaceful death with the use of this drug but you are not. Bravo to the authors of The Peaceful Pill Handbook for the work they are doing.

As a Registered Nurse I highly recommend this book. It provides total information in laymans language from A to Z. Full of suppliers, adresses, websites. Teaches what to ask for, quantity and dosages. It is simple one stop shopping. Compassionately written, yet realistic forward thinking.

Did you know you no longer can just stick your head in the oven or shut yourself in the garage with the car running? The windows of escape are narrowing, so it’s essential to get the most up-to-date information. All the methods described are chosen for their relative “peacefulness.” There appear to be two really good ones that need esoteric equipment that still is within the price range of the average middle-class person who has certain priorities. As far as I can figure out, you have to join the authors’ organization’s society for $100 in order to get access to some of their inventions: poison test-kits, special helium-tank nozzles, etc. I wouldn’t feel too competent using the book’s description of an Exit Bag, but apparently the authors’ organization’s members’ website has more information. This book is just the key; you still have to put your shoulder to the door. The tone of the book is patient and compassionate.

All of my friends over 60 agree on one thing: if they are terminally ill, or in continual pain or distress, they want the option to end life peacefully, quickly, and with certainty. For years, Derek Humphry’s Final Exit has been the go-to book on this topic. The Peaceful Pill Handbook is similar, but it has a grading system that evaluates each method according to several criteria, such as reliability and freedom from pain. In addition, it provides practical information about where to obtain medications, gases, and other supplies necessary to achieve one’s goal of a peaceful and painless death. Legal issues and strategies are discussed.

The unfortunate truth is: many people put off assembling these resources and thinking through their approach until they are no longer able to do so, then die the agonizing death they wished to avoid. This book can serve as a foundation for assembling the resources for achieving a peaceful death if and when the situation arises.

Highly recommended.