In the summer of 1991, a controversial book entitled Final Exit appeared in bookstores across the country. According to its cover, this book, written by Derek Humphry, deals with "the practicalities of self-deliverance and assisted suicide" for the terminally ill. A review in Time magazine more bluntly called it "a manual for committing suicide or helping someone else to do so." The text of Final Exit includes advice for killing one's self as painlessly and effectively as possible. Because of the book's content, many people were shocked by its publication. Some people argued that the information contained in the book could be abused if it fell into the wrong hands. For example, Burke Balch of the National Right to Life Committee urged booksellers to boycott the book by claiming: "We would call upon those in a position to foster dissemination of this loaded gun - potentially in the hands of children - and urge them to seriously consider refusing to carry it."
One reason for Final Exit's controversy is the fact that it advocates the use of active euthanasia. In contrast to active euthanasia, passive euthanasia simply involves removing a terminally ill person from life-support systems which prolong life by extraordinary means. In recent years, the idea of passive euthanasia for the terminally ill has become accepted by many people, including those in the legal and medical professions. Active euthanasia, however, is another matter altogether. It differs from passive euthanasia in that it involves taking active steps toward the termination of another person's life. Many people consider this to be a form of murder. Because of this, active euthanasia is considered to be a serious crime throughout the United States.
The book is also controversial because many people fear that its explicit instructions for causing death might be misused by those who are unstable. According to Susan M. Wolf, an expert on medical ethics: "T...