Rapid Fire
Use of Nitrogen Gas for Capital Punishment
- 09 Feb 2024
- 1 min read
Recently, the execution in the United States using nitrogen gas (for the first time since 1982) prompted discussions on the ethics and efficacy of capital punishment.
- The execution triggered public outcry and reignited debates on the moral and legal aspects of capital punishment.
- Nitrogen gas is used as a method of execution by inducing hypoxia, a lack of oxygen, which leads to unconsciousness and eventually death.
- The process typically involves the individual being placed in a sealed chamber or wearing a face mask through which nitrogen gas is pumped.
- As the person breathes in the nitrogen, it replaces oxygen in the lungs, leading to oxygen deprivation in the bloodstream and brain.
Read more: Raising the Bar on Capital Punishment
