Alabama is seeking to become the first state to execute a prisoner by making him breathe pure nitrogen

Alabama is seeking to become the first state to execute a prisoner by making him breathe pure nitrogen.

The Alabama attorney general’s office on Friday asked the state Supreme Court to set an execution date for death row inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58. The court filing indicated Alabama plans to put him to death by nitrogen hypoxia, an execution method that is authorized in three states but has never been used.

Nitrogen hypoxia is caused by forcing the inmate to breathe only nitrogen, depriving them of oxygen and causing them to die. Nitrogen makes up 78% of the air inhaled by humans and is harmless when inhaled with oxygen. While proponents of the new method have theorized it would be painless, opponents have likened it to human experimentation.

    • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
      16·
      1 year ago

      because the medical companies they got their lethal injections from decided they’d rather not be associated with governmental killing.

      then the foreign countries they bought from decided the same. so now they have to get creative.

      Personally, I’d like to see a 500t press option: literally just drop a 500t weight on me from a 30’ height. By the time my brains register any sensation they’ll be strawberry jelly squishing out the sides of the press plate.

    • Franzia
      1·
      1 year ago

      This isn’t a new innovation and is actually aware of the science. I think, however, conservative elected officials will insist on continuing Capital Punishment and the world is forced to work with or in many cases against them.