Alabama carries out US's first execution using nitrogen gas
In a pilot experiment, law enforcement authorities in Alabama state of United States of America (US) carried out the first-ever execution by an untested method known as nitrogen hypoxia. 58-year-old Smith— who was convicted of murder in 1996 — breathed pure nitrogen gas through a face mask, leading to oxygen deprivation, and eventually death. The United Nations (UN) has compared the controversial technique to "torture," but US officials insist it's humane.
Previous execution attempt and legal battle
In 2022, Smith suffered a failed execution attempt. The authorities called off the attempt due to IV complications. Smith was convicted in 1989 of murdering Elizabeth Sennett, a preacher's wife in a killing-for-hire. Smith's lawyers fought against the nitrogen gas execution, claiming it was an experimental method that could violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. However, federal courts and the US Supreme Court ruled against Smith.
Smith's botched execution raises questions on death penalty methods
After his botched execution in 2022, Smith had appealed against a repeat. Now as per the US law, if a convict on death row declines one execution method, he is obliged to pick the alternative, which happened to be nitrogen hypoxia in this case. California, Texas, Florida and Alabama are the US states with the most inmates on death row. Due to a dearth of drugs to execute convicts, US law enforcement authorities are now testing alternatives.
Smith met family and spiritual advisor in final hours
In his final moments, Smith met with family members and his spiritual adviser, Reverend Jeff Hood. He enjoyed a last meal of T-bone steak, hash browns, toast, and eggs covered in steak sauce. "The eyes of world are on this impending moral apocalypse. Our prayer is that people will not turn their heads. We simply cannot normalize the suffocation of each other," Hood said before the execution. A prison spokesperson said Smith was "terrified at the torture that could come."
What is nitrogen hypoxia?
Nitrogen hypoxia involves placing a respirator mask over the inmate's face to replace breathing air with pure nitrogen gas. This results in unconsciousness within seconds and eventual death in minutes. However, it's worth noting that "nitrogen hypoxia" is not an actual medical term, as explained by Joel Zivot, a physician at Emory University. In US, only three states-Alabama, Oklahoma and Mississippi, have approved the use of nitrogen hypoxia.
