Alabama will be moving forward with executions using nitrogen gas as the method of choice beginning in September. This decision comes after a settlement was reached in a lawsuit filed by death row inmates who argued that the previously proposed method of lethal injection posed a risk of causing extreme pain and suffering.
The state had previously attempted to use lethal injection as its primary method of execution, but encountered difficulties in obtaining the necessary drugs due to pharmaceutical companies refusing to sell them for use in executions. As a result, the state had been exploring alternative methods of execution, including nitrogen gas.
Nitrogen gas has been touted as a more humane and painless method of execution, as it induces hypoxia, or a lack of oxygen, which leads to unconsciousness and ultimately death. The use of nitrogen gas for executions has been approved by the Alabama Department of Corrections, which states that it is in compliance with the state’s execution protocol.
The settlement reached in the lawsuit brought by the death row inmates also includes provisions for the state to provide information to the court regarding the use of nitrogen gas in executions, as well as the testing and construction of the chamber that will be used for the executions.
Alabama is one of several states that have turned to nitrogen gas as an alternative method of execution in response to challenges with obtaining lethal injection drugs. While opponents of the death penalty continue to raise concerns about the ethics and humaneness of executions, supporters argue that nitrogen gas is a more reliable and painless method of carrying out the death penalty.
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