this post was submitted on 23 Jan 2024
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Alabama, unless stopped by the courts, intends to strap Kenneth Eugene Smith to a gurney Thursday and use a gas mask to replace breathable air with nitrogen, depriving him of oxygen, in the nation’s first execution attempt with the method.

The Alabama attorney general’s office told federal appeals court judges last week that nitrogen hypoxia is “the most painless and humane method of execution known to man.” But what exactly Smith, 58, will feel after the warden switches on the gas is unknown, some doctors and critics say.

“What effect the condemned person will feel from the nitrogen gas itself, no one knows,” Dr. Jeffrey Keller, president of the American College of Correctional Physicians, wrote in an email. “This has never been done before. It is an experimental procedure.”

Keller, who was not involved in developing the Alabama protocol, said the plan is to “eliminate all of the oxygen from the air” that Smith is breathing by replacing it with nitrogen.

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[–] [email protected] 87 points 11 months ago (5 children)

We actually do know the effect of breathing nitrogen gas. It's a hell of a lot better than injecting someone with a drug cocktail. I don't agree with the death penalty but this is about as humane as the death penalty gets.

[–] Eheran 34 points 11 months ago

Exactly. They make it sound as if nobody ever got exposed to low oxygen atmospheres. Absurd. Just the stories of divers is so so much. You feel absolutely nothing and then it goes black. Real simple.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, I’m sick of the media drama about this dude. I don’t think they should execute him but there’s nothing that novel or cruel about the method.

[–] stoly 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It would be novel in that it's the first time it's ever been done.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The meat industry kills animals this way regularly. Also, plenty of people have died like this accidentally, so it’s not a mystery what will happen.

[–] laughterlaughter 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I know what you're saying, but generally I wouldn't look up too much on how "the meat industry" treats animals, including killing them - much less so if we're using it to compare it to executing human beings.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

My point was some of these articles act like it’s a mystery what might happen medically.

[–] stoly 7 points 11 months ago

Yes, apoxia is the way to go if you have to.