Lengthy Execution by Nitrogen Gas in Alabama Renews Concerns Over Method
Lengthy Execution by Nitrogen Gas in Alabama Renews Concerns Over Method
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Lengthy Execution by Nitrogen Gas in Alabama Renews Concerns Over Method
nytimes.com
Execution by nitrogen should be fine. People who survive evidential exposure report having no sensation of choking, just sudden loss of consciousness. Our bodies do not react to low oxygen levels, they react to high carbon dioxide levels.
You would not "struggle to breath" nitrogen. You would just breathe it, then fall out.
The issue probably lies in the difference between filling up an entire room with Nitrogen, where exhaled Carbon Dioxide can disperse freely, and having it fed to you with a small mask. There also may be something to be said for the additional stress of knowing you're about to be killed.
There may be something to that. A poorly deigned mask might allow co 2 buildup. If I was going to do it, I'd have repurposed one of the old gas chambers.
And yes, I can't imagine the mental state makes things any better.