Enough said!

From 6th January it will be illegal for Australians to use a "carriage service" - the phone, email, fax or internet to talk about end-of-life options (suicide). I agree that it is important for the media not to broadcast information about youth suicide. There is already an unwritten agreement in much of the media that the suicides of school students are not publicised. This is a very sensible move which minimises the pain of families and friends and also reduces the likelihood of copy-cat suicides.

On the down side however, I believe that the new law is outrageous for two main reasons. Not only will it attempt to restrict freedom of speech but it will also limit the information available to terminally ill people and elderly Australians who are considering their options.

This law won't prevent suicide. I wonder whether it will even reduce the current number of suicide deaths in Australia. I can't help feeling that the law will drive reliable information 'underground' and may unnecessarily increase the suffering of many people. Whether you agree with Dr Philip Nitschke or not, surely it is better for reliable information to be available to people who are considering euthanasia.

Related links:
Criminal Code Amendment (Suicide Related Material Offences) Act 2005
Freedom of speech is dead where euthanasia is concerned
Ill-thought-out suicide law censors a generation