Final Exit

Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying is a controversial 1992 book by Derek Humphry, founder of the Hemlock Society in California and past president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies.

A newspaper journalist and author who helped his wife Jean end her life with an intentional overdose of medication after a long and painful decline from terminal cancer, Humphry wrote the book as a how-to guide for terminally ill people who wish to end their lives. The controversy arose not only from the intense debate over whether one should have a right to end one's own life, and whether anyone, especially medical professionals, can ethically assist self-chosen euthanasia, but also because the information in the book can be used by anyone, not just the terminally ill.

The book covers many aspects of planning and carrying out "self-deliverance", from the decision of whether and when one is ready to die, to the careful protection of anyone assisting one's preparations, to the legal and financial preparations for those one leaves behind. But the bulk of the work consists of the advantages and disadvantages and the processes for a variety of suicide methods.

In 2000, a Supplement to Final Exit was published with a new chapter on a method using helium gas as an alternative not requiring controlled prescription drugs. In 2001, marking the book's 10th anniversary, this information was included in the revised 3rd edition of the book. In 2005, an electronic addendum to the 3rd edition was released, offering refinements to the helium bag technique. The addendum was updated May 2009.

Success of the book
In 1991, the first edition was the number one bestselling nonfiction book in America for 18 weeks and has sold over a million copies. In 2009 it was still in print from Dell, New York, and is regarded as the best handbook on hastening death when a person is terminal or hopelessly ill.

Final Exit has been translated into 12 languages, and is banned by law only in France. In 2010 it remained in print in English, Spanish and Italian.

In April 2007, the editors and book critics of the American national newspaper USA TODAY selected Final Exit as one of the 25 most memorable books of the last quarter century.

Humphry subsequently put the information in this book onto a VHS video (2000) and a DVD (2006), both available through ERGO.

References in pop culture

 * Industrial heavy metal band Fear Factory uses quotes from Humphry's video in the last track of the album Mechanize, "Final Exit".
 * In a Christmas episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 Dr. Forrester give TV's Frank a copy of the book as a gift after he reveals that he stole Frank's blood to pay for it.
 * In an episode of Married With Children Al Bundy can be seen reading this book while in bed.