May 22, 2016
Elderly Importers of Lethal Drug are Getting Pinged by NZ Customs
Elderly New Zealanders are falling foul of the law by being caught importing potentially fatal doses of Nembutal from China and Mexico.
Those who have had their shipment discovered at the border include one Nelson couple in their eighties who were visited and warned by the police, although no charges were laid.
New Zealand residents, mainly members of the voluntary euthanasia group Exit, have successfully brought in doses, enough for a couple to painlessly end their lives.
But others have had their shipment, typically coming in a small package, confiscated on arrival.
At a recent meeting of the ‘Nelson Options’ chapter of Exit, International European co-ordinator Tom Curran told the mainly-elderly attendees he was surprised Customs were seizing the drug so often.
“China is the most popular or common place for it to come from now, because it’s powder, and it comes in a flat pack just like a letter.”
Curran has previously imported Nembutal to Ireland from Mexico at the request of his wife, who later died from multiple sclerosis.
“In Europe we lose less than one in 100 imports. It seems to be much higher here,” he said.
Once they had the drug Curran said his wife immediately stopped fretting about the end of her life and they had five more “wonderful” years together.
A New Zealand Customs Service spokeswoman said Nembutal, a brand name for Pentobarbital, was among the 1458 seizures of Class C controlled drugs in 2015, but the department did not hold specific figures for each drug.
“The most recent seizure was a few weeks ago, which was imported through international mail. Often the substance is not declared as Nembutal or the chemical name, so it is referred to Medsafe (Ministry of Health) and then seized.”
The maximum penalty for importing a Class C drug is eight years’ imprisonment, and information could be passed to police for follow-up.
“Importing class c controlled drugs is illegal, regardless of quantity,” she said.
Nembutal has been associated with Exit International and its founder, Dr Philip Nitschke, for several years.
Exit has testing kits so that people who import it can verify its purity.
It is used for euthanising animals and has also been used in human executions in the United States, and for medically-assisted suicides in countries where it is legal.
It’s commonly advertised for sale on the Internet, and people who plan suicide with the advice of Exit are coached in taking anti-vomiting drugs ahead of the Nembutal.
A long-time Nelson voluntary euthanasia supporter said “dozens” of people around New Zealand had imported Nembutal from Mexico or China.
The powdered form looked like baking powder and the double dose – costing $600 – was enough to fill an egg-cup.
New Zealand suppliers recognised the possibility of the drug being found at the border and if that happened, they offered a repeat shipment for $400.
He supported the right for people who wanted a “a painless and clean death” to bring Nembutal into the country.
“It should be accessible for people that need it, possibly in a doctor’s prescription.”
Assisted dying advocate Don Grant,a former president of Voluntary Euthanasia New Zealand, said the seizures were “a real issue” for New Zealand.
“I know people in Nelson have recently been visited by the police, because they imported it from China and it was stopped by Customs at the border.”
He told those at the meeting they shouldn’t fear a knock on the door if they do manage to get the drugs in.
The Nelson couple who were caught had been “slapped with a wet bus ticket, because their quantity is so small, and it’s also not a Class A drug”.
He said his wife Yoka de Houwer, who died of a rare form of cancer three years ago, had wanted to join Exit, “specifically because she wanted a method of controlling when she wanted to go”.
“It was sitting at home, and she knew where it was. Once that happened she didn’t want to talk any more about death.
“She didn’t want to talk about Exit, she got on with living. So it was there if she needed it, that was the nice thing about that.”
Health Minister Jonathan Coleman said importing banned substances was illegal “and I don’t condone it.”
“The health select committee is currently considering the wider issues, as New Zealanders hold a range of views on end of life care,” Coleman said.