Use of Nitrogen Gas for Capital Punishment | 09 Feb 2024

Source: TH

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