Evidence Against Use of Nitrogen for the Death Penalty

Philip E Bickler; Michael S Lipnick

doi:10.1001/jama.2024.6577

Evidence Against Use of Nitrogen for the Death Penalty

JAMA. 2024 Jun 25;331(24):2075-2076. doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.6577.

Authors

Philip E Bickler¹, Michael S Lipnick²

Affiliations

¹ Hypoxia Research Laboratory, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco.
² Hypoxia Research Laboratory, Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco.

PMID: 38809524
DOI: 10.1001/jama.2024.6577

No abstract available

Plain language summary

This Viewpoint discusses the recent use of forced nitrogen inhalation as capital punishment in Alabama and describes the body of evidence indicating that forced nitrogen inhalation is an inhumane practice.

MeSH terms

Administration, Inhalation
Capital Punishment* / legislation & jurisprudence
Capital Punishment* / methods
Humans
Hypoxia* / etiology
Nitrogen* / administration & dosage
Torture*
United States

Substances

Nitrogen