Controversy Surrounds the New Execution Method
An Alabama man has become the first person to be executed using nitrogen gas. Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, was sentenced to death for his alleged role in the 1988 murder of Elizabeth Sennett. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey defended the method, stating that it had been thoroughly vetted and was ready to be implemented. However, medical and legal experts argue that there is no evidence to suggest that nitrogen gas is a more humane or painless method of execution than lethal injection.
Kenneth Eugene Smith was originally scheduled to be executed in November 2022 via lethal injection. However, officials were unable to administer the lethal drugs due to difficulties in inserting an intravenous line before the death warrant expired. As a result, Alabama turned to nitrogen gas as an alternative method of execution. Three states, including Alabama, have approved nitrogen gas as a form of execution.
Nitrogen hypoxia, the term for death caused by breathing in nitrogen gas, involves depriving the body of oxygen. The protocol in Alabama requires the inmate to be strapped to a gurney and fitted with a mask and breathing tube. The mask administers pure nitrogen, leading to the deprivation of oxygen and eventual death. While nitrogen gas is a major component of the air we breathe, an excessive concentration can cause the body’s organs to shut down due to lack of oxygen.
Lethal injection has been the most common method of execution in modern times. However, it has faced challenges, including difficulties in finding veins, clogging of intravenous lines, and violent reactions to the drugs. There have also been shortages of the drugs used for lethal injections. In recent years, different drug combinations have been experimented with, but there is little scientific evidence to support their effectiveness.
Medical experts have raised concerns about the use of nitrogen gas as a method of execution. Autopsy reports of prisoners executed via lethal injection have shown signs of pulmonary edema, a condition where fluid builds up in the lungs, making breathing difficult. The new method of execution using nitrogen gas is seen as an attempt to find a more humane alternative, but experts argue that there is no evidence to support this claim.
Many organizations, including the U.N. Human Rights Office and the Sant’Egidio Community, have called on Alabama to halt the execution, citing concerns that execution by nitrogen gas may constitute torture and violate international human rights treaties. Despite these concerns and the lack of evidence supporting the humaneness of nitrogen gas as a method of execution, Alabama proceeded with the execution.
The controversy surrounding execution methods continues to persist, with states continually searching for alternatives. The quest for a more humane method of execution has yet to be achieved.
