The Peaceful Pill Handbook
The Peaceful Pill Handbook is a book that provides information on assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia. Written by the Australian euthanasia campaigner and former physician Philip Nitschke and author Fiona Stewart, it was originally published in the U.S. in 2006. A German edition of the print book—Die Friedliche Pille—was published in 2011. A French edition—La Pilule Paisible—was published in June 2015. An Italian edition—La pillola della quiete—was published in 2018. A Dutch edition—De vredige pil—was published in 2018.
In 2008, the online handbook—The Peaceful Pill eHandbook—was launched, containing video clips on assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia methods and related issues. The eHandbook is updated bimonthly.
Content
The book is primarily intended for seniors, people who are seriously ill, and their families and friends. It is also a resource guide for those working in public health and elderly care. The book rates more than a dozen methods of euthanasia according to reliability and peacefulness scales.Strategies covered by the books include: the use of gases such as nitrogen, poisons such as carbon monoxide, prescription drugs such as insulin and the opiates, and former prescription drugs such as the barbiturates. The book details lawful means of obtaining and administering the drugs, and other peripheral issues such as drug storage, shelf life and disposal. The Swiss assisted suicide services are also covered in detail, as are issues such as the writing of wills, advance directives, and issues of determining decision-making capacity.
One of the more controversial aspects of the book is its coverage of the Internet as a source of drugs. To this end, the authors publish a regular neighbourhood watch that warns about Internet scammers and fraudulent websites.