Euthanasia ad banned in Australia An ad with an actor playing a terminally ill man asking to be allowed die with dignity has been banned in Australia. Exit International, which made the advertisement, has said it would relaunch a new one within days. The ad was shot on 6 September, by Sydney ad agency ‘The Works’ and by 10 September it had been banned on the recommendation of Commercials Advice (CAD) lawyer, Alison Lee. “Ms Lee alleges that the Ad which was approved by CAD at pre-production and post-production stages for airing on TV, breaches s2.17.5 of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice’ Suicide: Realistic depiction of methods of suicide, or promotion or encouragement of suicide,” says the Exit International web site. “Even more offensively, in her email, Ms Lee continues ‘We have considered that an advertisement for voluntary euthanasia is a promotion or encouragement of suicide as voluntary euthanasia would be considered to be a subset of suicide.’ Exit has heard many arguments against VE, but never one as left-field as this one.” Exit stated that the ad is an expression of free speech & political communication, calling for legislative action. In the TV ad, which is the first created by Exit International, the man says: “I chose to marry Tina, have two great kids. I chose to always drive a Ford. I chose this shirt. I even chose this haircut. What I didn’t choose was being terminally ill. I didn’t choose to starve to death because eating is like swallowing razor blades. “And I certainly didn’t choose to have to watch my family go through it with me. I’ve made my final choice. I just need the government to listen.” Fourteen years ago a voluntary euthanasia law was introduced in the Northern Territory, but it was overturned by the federal government.
September 11th, 2010