There are numerous threads on execution on the SDMB. Many posts to these threads think a nitrogen asphyxiation is the best method for a variety of reasons.
Well, Oklahoma has decided nitrogen asphyxiation is the primary method in that state. But not for “humane” reasons in the first instance.
This seems like a good way to accidentally kill some prison officials. Nitrogen is a no-shit dangerous substance in a closed area. And while there are certainly some people who would do best for this world by leaving it, I think there is enough evidence of falibility in our judicial system that we should have a serious consideration of whether we trust governments which regularly fuck up pretty much every other duty in major and minor ways to take responsibility for assuring that only genuinely guilty people are executed.
Stranger
I think we should not have a death penalty, for reasons including what Stranger on a Train points out. Plus it puts the US out of the developed world mainstream.
But, nitrogen as a method, as a technical or medical question, sounds good to me. I’ve had a touch of nitrogen narcosis working with LN2 in the lab, and have to say it’s anything but cruel. It is somewhere between beguiling and euphoric. I think euthanasia for humans and animals in great pain with poor prospects is a very good thing, and think nitrogen might be a great choice for that. Yes, there’s a danger there, but we work with nitrogen in so many ways already that I think this issue can be practically handled.
I’m not entirely opposed to it, but I don’t believe it should be an option at the same standard of evidence as a mere conviction. proof “beyond a reasonable doubt” is not IMO a high enough standard of evidence to permit ending someone’s life. But I don’t think common law has any higher standard.
If I were going to commit suicide, I’d pick nitrogen. From all reports, its a peaceful and easy death. (I’m anti-death penalty).
Why not just OD on barbiturates or synthetic opiates (fentanyl derivatives for example) as a means of death?
From what I’ve seen regarding current events, an OD of those types of drugs doesn’t look very pleasant, and isn’t exactly quick.
We don’t have a humane method of execution because that’s not what anyone wants. The people who are moved by how humane it is don’t want any executions at all. The people who want executions want to punish the executed, to make them suffer.
Well, except for this guy, a self-proclaimed execution engineer, 40-cup-a-day coffee drinker, and darling of the Holocaust denial lecture circuit Fred Leuchter, Jr., who is concerned that electrocution “cooks the meat” too much. Yick.
Stranger
Liquid nitrogen executions would be so much cooler.
Liquid oxygen would be faster. You know, if you really want to be humane. A bit messy, but you can’t make an omlette without blowing up a few chickens.
Stranger
I suppose if the state is going to kill people, nitrogen is preferable to being broken on the wheel. Baby steps I guess.
I’m curious, will the condemned be put into a chamber that gets filled with the gas, or will the gas be delivered through a mask?
The simplest and most humane method of execution would be a .38 round fired into the base of the skull where the spinal cord comes in. It would turn them off like a light switch. They wouldn’t feel it or hear it.
There have been some moves to use fentanyl, but that is going to run into similar problems as any other execution drug.
Bit more personal, means that you have to have an executioner willing to do that. It is not something that I would leave to machines. Makes more of a mess too.
Death by drugs is much, much trickier than what you think. Especially given the population subject to the penalty contains many people who have used heavy drugs for years. Lots of problems.
Finding a vein to inject. Keep in mind that real doctors aren’t allowed to be part of this. So they have some have semi-trained schmoe with little experience trying to poke someone whose veins are all messed up.
What might kill one person, or a horse, might only given another person a buzz.
Some of the worst screw-ups in US execution history have come from “lethal” injection.
The state has put considerable effort to making the death penalty appear less barbaric than it actually is. Making the death penalty appear all medically is part of maintaining public support.
There are plenty of methods of killing people, the trick is keeping the public on board. If the public starts seeing executed prisoners in pools of their own blood, many will question the humanity of executions.
When it comes to various drugs they can use the problem is always the same. Drugs are controlled by the medical community, who as a whole do not want to participate in killing people.
They can get nitrogen without doctors. It’s not a horrible choice if they need to kill people. I’d prefer they stop thinking about ways to ‘humanly’ kill people and just not kill people.
Based on comments I’ve seen from certain demographic populations, there may be people who would pay to do it. 
Strange that some death penalty opponents are opposing this measure elsewhere on the Internet. Yes, I get that they want no executions, period. But if executions must be done, it’s better to have them done painlessly. These opponents seem to be lobbying for more painful, convoluted execution methods to remain on the books.
I suspect this would be akin to abortion opponents opposing painless forms of abortion and wanting only the more dangerous, painful methods to remain. Trying to keep it dangerous and painful in order to make it more objectionable.
Not that I’m particularly concerned about the momentary suffering of someone who’s deprived someone else of their life and inflicted terrible and lifelong suffering upon their family and loved ones, but I’m not so sure this type of death is as instantaneous as it appears.
I’ve heard and read that the brain continues to be conscious and aware for some minutes after blood flow stops. On the other hand I’ve also read that loss of consciousness is instantaneous due to the drop in blood pressure. So who knows, I guess.
Still, it seems possible to me that while a bullet to the base of the skull causes the body to be turned off like a light, highly unpleasant things might still be going on inside the head, possibly including even pain from the injury, for at least a short time after.
Nitrogen asphyxiation and nitrogen narcosis are completely different things. One is bubbles of nitrogen dissolving into your brain which gives you a nice bubbly high, potentially deadly while deep scuba diving, but isn’t directly fatal. The other is merely the absence of oxygen, which our bodies actually can’t detect (the out-of-breath feeling comes from a buildup of CO2) so you basically just keel over and die without warning.
Another great advantage of nitrogen executions is that the prisoner’s body organs would still be viable for potential transplants, which isn’t possible with lethal injection.