Final Exit

Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying

Author	Derek Humphry
Country	United States
Language	English
Subject	Self-euthanasia
Publisher	Dell
Publication date	1991
Media type	Print
Pages	213
ISBN	0-440-50488-0
OCLC	26465758
Preceded by	Jean's Way

Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying, often shortened to just Final Exit, is a 1991 book written by Derek Humphry, a British-born American journalist, author, and assisted suicide advocate who co-founded the now-defunct Hemlock Society in 1980 and co-founded the Final Exit Network in 2004. The book was first published in 1991 by the Hemlock Society US in hardback. The following year, its 2nd edition was published by Dell in trade paperback. The current updated edition was published in 2010.^[1]

The book, often described as a "suicide manual", describes the means that the terminally ill may use to end their lives. The book further outlines relevant laws, techniques, and living wills.^[2] Final Exit was perceived as controversial,^[3] and the book drove debate regarding the right to die. Another concern was that people who were mentally ill could use the information found in the book to end their lives.^[4][5] Despite the controversy, Final Exit reached #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list in August 1991.^[6]

Final Exit Network claims that approximately 750,000 copies have been sold in the United States and Canada and approximately 500,000 elsewhere. The book is banned in France.^[7] Final Exit is Derek Humphry's third book on the subject of self-euthanasia; it was preceded by Jean's Way (1978) and The Right to Die: Understanding Euthanasia (1986).