This talk by Dr Philip Nitschke was recorded at the Embiggen Books store in Melbourne, on his book Damned If I Do — by Philip Nitschke with Peter Corris.

Dr. Philip Nitschke is the founder and director of the pro-euthanasia group Exit International. Dr Philip Nitschke, PhD, MBBS, BSc (Hons) is the Founder and Director of Exit International. Born in 1947 in rural South Australia, Philip studied physics at the University of Adelaide, completing a PhD at Flinders University in laser physics in 1972. Rejecting a career in the sciences, Philip instead traveled to the Northern Territory to take up work with the Aboriginal land rights activist, Vincent Lingiari and the Gurindji at Wave Hill. 

After the hand-back of land by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, Philip became a NT Parks and Wildlife ranger. A serious accident to his foot saw Philip return to university, graduating from Sydney University Medical School in 1988.

In 1996, Philip became the first physician in the world to administer a legal, lethal voluntary injection under the short-lived Rights of the Terminally Ill Act of the Northern Territory in 1996. Four of Philip’s terminally ill patients used this law to end their suffering before the law was overturned in March 1997 by the Australian Parliament.

Philip Nitschke presented this reading and Q&A at at Embiggen Books on Tuesday, 10th September 2013. Thanks to Warren of Embiggen Books and to Dr Nitschke for allowing the talk to be recorded. You can follow Embiggen Books at https://twitter.com/embiggenbooks and Dr Nitschke at https://twitter.com/philipnitschke