Oklahoma governor signs bill allowing nitrogen gas executions

[zebo-the-fat]

In general I am against the death penalty simply because of the problems of killing the wrong person. There have been several cases of people being on death row for years before new evidence shows that they were innocent.
If you are going to kill people, nitrogen is ideal, it is cheap and painless, I remember watching a documentary about test pilots, demonstrating the effects of oxygen starvation, the guys were put into a chamber and wore breathing masks, the ratio of nitrogen to oxygen was adjusted while they did various tests (maths problems, writing etc.) As the oxygen was reduced and replaced by nitrogen they became confused, made mistakes and eventually passed out, when the oxygen was restored they recovered and said that they were totally unaware that anything had happened. The feeling of suffocation is not due to a lack of oxygen, it is due to a build up of carbon dioxide, because they were breathing normally (not holding their breath) the CO2 didn't build up in their blood so they felt fine.

[AFTT47]

I'm 100% against the death penalty but I've often wondered why this method was not used by states who insist on murdering the murders. I'm familiar with the physiological effect because of my background as a scuba instructor. Zebo is correct in that it is the build-up of CO2 which causes a feeling of air starvation, not a lack of oxygen. All you have to do is replace the oxygen one breaths with an inert gas such as nitrogen. They won't notice a thing until the oxygen percentage drops below about 16%. At that point, they'll simply get light-headed and lose consciousness. No discomfort at all.

[Anomalocaris]

What evidence do we have that execution by nitrogen gas is painless?

I had the same question, but a simple search seems to indicate that it would be painless in humans:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inert_gas_asphyxiation

Yes, and it is no doubt with great angst that the state of Oklahoma contemplate having to fall back upon a painless method of execution should they be deprived of the preferred botch prone method of execution. 

[abaris]

Glad there's still some human ingenuity when it comes to killing other human beings. Speaking of ressources well spent. Can't have it that the drugs run out. Might cause an unwelcome stay in our killing efforts.

[vorlon13]

Regardless of the strictness of any anti-death penalty law, there HAS to be an exception for corrupt TV preechurs.

[Mudhammam]

In the extremely rare instances where a person's guilt is 100% assured and their crime is so heinous as to merit a death sentence, sure, why not gas the fucker?

[vorlon13]

Lawrence Phillips springs to mind . . .

[zebo-the-fat]

If you are going to do it why not use helium instead of nitrogen, let 'em die with a high pitch squeaky voice, may as well have a giggle at the end!

[Thumpalumpacus]

In general I am against the death penalty simply because of the problems of killing the wrong person. There have been several cases of people being on death row for years before new evidence shows that they were innocent.
If you are going to kill people, nitrogen is ideal, it is cheap and painless, I remember watching a documentary about test pilots, demonstrating the effects of oxygen starvation, the guys were put into a chamber and wore breathing masks, the ratio of nitrogen to oxygen was adjusted while they did various tests (maths problems, writing etc.)   As the oxygen was reduced and replaced by nitrogen they became confused, made mistakes and eventually passed out, when the oxygen was restored they recovered and said that they were totally unaware that anything had happened. The feeling of suffocation is not due to a lack of oxygen, it is due to a build up of carbon dioxide, because they were breathing normally (not holding their breath) the CO2 didn't build up in their blood so they felt fine.

I'm 100% against the death penalty but I've often wondered why this method was not used by states who insist on murdering the murders. I'm familiar with the physiological effect because of my background as a scuba instructor. Zebo is correct in that it is the build-up of CO2 which causes a feeling of air starvation, not a lack of oxygen. All you have to do is replace the oxygen one breaths with an inert gas such as nitrogen. They won't notice a thing until the oxygen percentage drops below about 16%. At that point, they'll simply get light-headed and lose consciousness. No discomfort at all.

Thanks for the correction, guys.

[Brakeman]

I've always thought that the obsession over the painlessness of the execution is really missing the point. It the long psychological torture that is supremely paramount, not the temporary physical discomfort.