Today’s edition of de Volkskrant has a report on the launch of a new website providing detailed information on how to use medicines to commit suicide. The site, created by Right to Die-NL, is reportedly one of the first sites worldwide to provide detailed information on a number of ways to commit suicide.

Right to Die-NL Director Petra de Jong says: “We found there was a great need for this kind of information and we wanted to prevent people with a death wish having to resort to gruesome methods. Sometimes they jump in front of a train, hang themselves or set themselves on fire. This is not only terrible for them, but also for the next of kin and aid workers. We believe people have the right to die with dignity.”

Access to the new website is restricted, but the information can be accessed within a few hours if the visitor becomes a member for a fee of 17 euros and 50 cents. The only condition is they must be over 16. Assisting a person to commit suicide is a crime in the Netherlands, but Right to Die-NL says this does not apply to its website because it does not provide instructions, but only information. In the recent past, the publication of several books containing similar information never led to convictions.

Ms De Jong says the website will not lower the threshold to commit suicide. “In the past, books could simply be ordered. On top of which, nobody can kill themselves on impulse using information obtained from our website. It would take time, because certain medicines are not easily available.”

Dutch should save more
AD reports that millions of Dutch households are in the financial danger zone because they are not saving enough. The Nibud, the National Institute for Family Finance Information, says the situation makes these households extremely vulnerable in case of financial setbacks. The institute recommends people to always make sure they have a buffer of several thousands of euros, but about 3.5 million households fail to do so.

A recent survey shows about four in ten Dutch households, or 37 percent, have difficulty making ends meet. About 25 percent of those interviewed are always in the red at the end of the month. One in five don’t have any savings for unexpected expenses and about one-third have to make substantial monthly payments on a loan taken out to buy a car, to redecorate their house or for a course.

Nibud Director Gerjoke Wilmink says the situation is worrisome. “In particular during a crisis it is very important people watch their expenditures and maintain a financial buffer.” She is particularly shocked that so few people look to the future. “In times of crisis it is always advisable to know what your fixed expenses are because that makes it easier to handle setbacks. However, four in five people do not chart future expenses.”

The Nibud, which celebrates its 30th anniversary today, recommends people use a cashbook or a computer programme to keep track of their expenses. “Our survey shows that people who conscientiously keep their books have fewer financial problems. And people who manage their finances well are also happier.”

Health minister threatens to take GPs to court
Also in AD, Health Minister Ab Klink is threatening to take GPs to court who have begun vaccinating certain groups of patients against the A(H1N1) virus ahead of the agreed date.

Some doctors have started inoculating children between six months and five years old even though it has been agreed this would be done at regional health centres in two weeks. However, a number of doctors believe it is not necessary to wait any longer now that the vaccines are available. The health minister argues that their actions may lead to a shortage of vaccines for the elderly and people with underlying conditions.

The health inspectorate has reprimanded football clubs AZ and NAC for vaccinating their squads. Both clubs have offered their apologies, and NAC doctor Cees Joosen said on regional radio his decision was “a bit dumb” because football players should not take precedence over other people.

Those ‘other people’ apparently do not include staff at day care centres, many of which have begged and pleaded with the authorities to get their workers vaccinated, but to no avail. Despite the fact that they have intensive day-to-day contact with large numbers of small children, staff at day care centres have not been included in the health ministry’s list of high-risk groups. A spokesperson for the Health Council of the Netherlands, the main government advisory body, said “a line had to be drawn somewhere”.

Big Camera is watching you
De Telegraaf writes that the police intend to install state-of-the-art video cameras in the fight against the increasing violence on the streets. The latest weapon in the fight against violence is a 360-degree rotating camera to be installed on the roof of police cars. So far, the police did have some vehicles equipped with video cameras, but they were located inside the vehicles and had only limited capabilities.

Following a series of experiments involving various types of cameras, pilots will be conducted in five regions to determine which type will be introduced nationwide next year. The cameras can be used during riots, but also in entertainment centres or at major events. The police expect the cameras will also have a preventative effect. The video cameras are also intended to make police officers feel safer, particularly when large groups of people turn against them.

The state-of-the-art equipment – estimated at 5,000 euros apiece - can be controlled both from a patrol car and from a central dispatch. They will be made as ‘asshole proof’ as possible even though a police spokesperson says: “Although eventually you can break anything. On the other hand, the closer a hoodlum gets, the easier it becomes to identify them.”

Carnival is coming
On its front page, De Telegraaf has a series of photographs of people with their faces painted in brilliant colours and wearing all kinds of strange hats. On Wednesday, thousands of ‘carnivalists’ gathered in the Vrijthof Square in the city of Maastricht to exuberantly welcome in the new carnival season, which officially starts on 11 November. The huge number of people gathering in the square even led to it being temporarily closed, but De Telegraaf writes: “It was a real party, without serious incidents.” Schools in the city had been warned to be extra vigilant about absenteeism, but no school reported an unusual number of students being absent from classes.