Lucas Taylor (Image via the ABC’s 730)

Editor’s note: This post deals with suicide. Some readers may find the article triggering.

Lucas Taylor’s body was found alone in a park in Germany in April 2012.

The Melbourne man – who had moved to Germany (via South Korea) earlier that year – had suffered a fatal overdose of a drug he had bought in Peru for just $14.

The drug Lucas took is known as the Peaceful Pill.

After his death, his mother Judi Taylor discovered that her son was an active member of forum of  the online euthanasia community founded by Australian euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke, Exit International. Nitschke is an outspoken advocate of the Peaceful Pill.

Nigel Brayley (image via The Abc)

Lucas was a perfectly healthy person. He did not have a terminal illness. While Judi told the Daily Mail he was experiencing some trouble finding work, she said that suicide is not something she could have contemplated her son doing. Judi believes that her son was “death-coached” on the forum.

He was just 26 years old.

Nigel Brayley took his own life earlier this year.

The 45-year-old Perth man was found 200 metres from his home last year, after also having taken the Peaceful Pill.

Having recently lost his job, and being subjected to police questioning related to the death of his wife, Nigel was clinically depressed.

Nigel received information about obtaining and using the Peaceful Pill workshops run by Exit International. He also corresponded personally with Nitschke via email, explaining that he was going to take his own life.

Nitschke told 7.30 reporter Caitlyn Gribben – who had received copies of the emails from Nigel’s parents – that he was aware of Nigel’s depression during this correspondence, but did not refer him on to any other medical professionals:

After the broadcast of the 7.30 investigation on July 3rd, there were calls for Philip 

Nitschke was suspended by the Medical Board of Australia. 

This week, that occurred.

According to News Corp, the euthanasia campaigner was suspended after he was deemed to pose “a serious risk to the health and safety of the public”:

Nitschke has spoken out against the suspension. He tweeted:

The chairman of depression organisation Beyond Blue,  Jeff Kennett, has criticised Nitschke’s actions. Kennett says that that, although he supports euthanasia for the terminally ill, Nitschke’s actions destroy the legitimacy of his own cause.

This is from an interview he did with ABC’s AM earlier in the month:

Mr Kennett said he could not get behind the idea of assisting a 45 year old man who was not terminally ill.

What do you think? Did Dr Nitschke go too far? Do people have the right to end their lives when they want? Or should Dr Nitschke have done everything in his power to keep a physically healthy man alive?