New Zealand's chief censor has defended his decision to lift a ban on a controversial book outlining ways in which people can kill themselves.Bill Hastings said the R18 classification for Australian euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke's The Peaceful Pill Handbook was the most he could impose after a 2005 law change.Associate Minister of Health Jim Anderton, whose portfolio includes suicide prevention, said the publicity surrounding the book would only encourage suicide to be considered as a mainstream choice for terminally ill people. "These are extreme views, they are not mainstream."Mr Anderton said the more prominence and promotion the book received, the more it allowed advocates to normalise suicide.He said it was inevitable the book would have "unintended consequences", particularly for people who may have recently been diagnosed as terminally ill."It encourages people to think suicide is a good way out."However, he would not second guess Mr Hastings' decision, which he said was made within the legal framework of the Films, Video and Publications Classification Act.He also said he would not initiate any action to prevent sales.Mr Hastings said that, when grading material that depicts or expresses suicide, or any activity which could cause harm if imitated, censors could only restrict material. They could not ban it.The book by Mr Nitschke could hit New Zealand bookshelves within two weeks after the Office of Film and Literature Classification lifted the ban on Friday. The publication was revised after it was banned last July and can now be sold only to over 18-year-olds and must be sealed.On Sunday Mr Hastings said he did not think lifting the ban went against the Government's efforts to lower suicide rates. The R18 restriction meant it would be kept out of the hands of young people, who were the age group most at risk, he said."We have imposed the highest restriction we could impose on the book in order to maximise the hope the book will find its target audience, the terminally ill and elderly."Mr Nitschke said a list of bookshops had been drawn up that " I think will be comfortable selling it". He expected the book to be available through retail outlets in major cities.He said that he "would be surprised" if the book had an influence on New Zealand's suicide rates of about 500 a year.In March, the Government launched a five-year Suicide Prevention Action Plan to lower this figure. Agencies