Source of Texas execution drug?

Factual Questions
21

This is correct. Nitrogen hypoxia is painless and peaceful, like any other odorless inert gas.

I can’t find any cites on anyone accidentally dying from nitrogen inhalation, but there are lots of cites about people at hot-air-balloon festivals entering the envelope of a partially inflated helium balloon and then just falling out. Because the body still eliminates CO2 with every breath, they don’t experience the distress of asphyxiation due to CO2 buildup. They just get sleepy and fall out when their blood O2 gets too low. It’s fully reversible if the person is given fresh air, but typically nobody realizes what’s happening (including the victim) until it’s too late.

Nitrogen would be the same effect as helium, but not as funny, because nitrogen doesn’t do that funny voice thing.

22

When admonishing on matters medical it is good to be mindful of the adage

Only the dose makes the poison
dosis sola facit venenum

Even the most benign molecule has an LD50.

As any diver who has suffered the bends would attest, a little free N2 in the blood isn’t healthy.

23

I have sometimes wondered if we are perhaps all suffering from a low level of nitrogen narcosis, even at atmospheric pressure?

Perhaps we should try spending some time in a neon/oxygen atmosphere?

24

I understand.

Still we have a bill signed into law purchasing this “drug” in Arkansas.

I didn’t write the bill. I didn’t approve or sign off on it.

I certainly wasn’t asked to vote for/against it.

My point is: there are nefarious people in certain states actively looking and procuring these substances because some legit drug companies don’t want to sell their proper (?) drug product for execution use.

According to someones upthread cite, it says Texas tried and failed to buy it overseas and often changes use-by-dates for their own benefit.

25

Link to 2008’s BBC Horizon “How to Kill a Human Being” (spoiler: no actual humans, or pigs killed) at the 43:minute mark shows how hypoxia painlessly overwhelms the victim. A pig sticks his snout into an enclosed trough of inert gas; passes out and falls into open air; regains consciousness, and goes back into the trough.

For condemned humans the torment could never be erased because they know what’s coming. For society, even societies at peace with the forfeiture of human life due to the choices of the individual, injustice can never be erased because of the irreconcilable vagaries of how the death penalty is imposed.

26

Nitrogen asphyxiation is a know industrial hazard.

Here is a cite claiming 80 workplace deaths (primarily industrial accidents) from nitrogen asphyxiation between 1982 and 2002:

27

I am not sure you do.

Nitrogen is not a ‘drug’. I have tried to fight ignorance, but there comes a point where one gives up.

I am not going to respond any further since I don’t think the point is understood and I don’t want to ignite a flamewar. Let’s drop it.

28

Best way to go. I suppose. I’m still reading.

But, know this. I totally understand what you are saying. It’s not me who called it a drug. I just read it.

I’m done posting here as well.