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New Florida Law Bans Suicide For Entertainment Purposes

May 14, 2004

Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed into law a bill that makes it a felony to assist in a suicide for commercial or entertainment purposes.

The new measure, which was signed Tuesday (May 11),is in response to industrial rock band HELL ON EARTH allowing a terminally ill fan to commit suicide at one of their performances as a "political" statement in support of physician-assisted suicide.

Government officials belittled the band's "message" and attempted to sway public opinion by categorizing the event as "suicide for entertainment purposes" and "promoting self-murder" in an attempt to dodge what the group claims was the "real issue" which was "legalizing physician-assisted suicide," according to a posting on HELL ON EARTH's web site.

When asked about the law Gov. Bush signed on Tuesday banning staged suicides, HELL ON EARTH bandleader Billy Tourtelot responded, "HELL ON EARTH has no plans to have anymore on-stage suicides. But if someone wanted to, I see many, many loopholes in this new law, where another terminally ill person or band could very easily, legally pull it off and never be successfully prosecuted by the State of Florida. What a waste of taxpayers' dollars." He added, "I'll post some of the loopholes on www.hellonearth.net on July 1st after the law officially goes into effect."

HELL ON EARTH made worldwide headlines late last year when they promised to broadcast the suicide of a terminally ill fan during an Oct. 4, 2003 concert in St. Petersburg. The band played that night, but no suicide was reported. More recently, the group claimed to have engaged in "consensual cannibalism," although footage of this activity has yet to be seen outside the "members-only" section of the group's web site.

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