NITSCHKE'S PLAN TO USE DRUG DEALERS

The doctor planning to set up a euthanasia clinic in Melbourne said
yesterday he would refer patients to drug dealers if necessary to
enable them to die with dignity.

Dr Philip Nitschke, pictured, said terminally ill people, mainly
elderly cancer sufferers, sometimes resorted to hanging themselves
because attempts to overdose on pills failed.

``It is obscene when we have many people going around looking for a
lump of rope to take their own lives because they are not able to get
access to the right drugs,'' he said.

Dr Nitschke said he had contacts who could help: ``My medical
background was in helping IV (intravenous) drug users medically and
there are enough entrepreneurial narcotics dealers able to see a need
and prepared to help access some of these other drugs which aren't
widely used as drugs of abuse.

``These people who are generally elderly and dying of cancer, they
don't want to have to ... spend their last few weeks sleazing around
in some sort of alley trying to contact drug dealers and that's why
many of them take all the tablets in the kitchen cabinet but don't die
then go out and buy a piece of rope,'' he said.

The Premier, Mr Jeff Kennett, who supports euthanasia, said he saw
nothing illegal if Dr Nitschke's clinic, due to open next month, only
dispensed advice, but the Health Minister, Mr Rob Knowles, said any
directing of people to illegal drug sources was a matter for police.

The president of Right to Life Victoria, Mrs Margaret Tighe, condemned
Dr Nitschke's plans and said he was thumbing his nose at the law and
called on the State Government to take action. ``Dr Nitschke believes
he will be allowed to do as he pleases at his `death' clinic because
of the public statements supporting euthanasia on the part of ... Mr
Kennett.''

Another critic, Professor David Kissane from the Centre for Palliative
Care at the University of Melbourne, said Dr Nitschke was a ``past
master of sensationalism'' and that the Northern Territory voluntary
euthanasia law - which was overturned last year after Dr Nitschke
helped four people to die - had failed to protect the vulnerable and
ensure a high standard of clinical care.

The Voluntary Euthanasia Society of Victoria president, Dr Rodney
Syme, said he was confident a private members bill to legalise
euthanasia would be introduced after the next state election. He said
there was enormous unmet demand for euthanasia advice.

Dr Nitschke, who moved to Melbourne four months ago, plans to operate
his bulk-billing clinic in Templestowe. He said yesterday he already
had a waiting list of patients wanting advice.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry