Why don't states use nitrogen chambers for the death penalty?

In My Humble Opinion
101

This isn’t how Alabama did it. They did it with a mask over the condemned’s face.

102

The full chamber approach has a couple of evident potential drawbacks.

  • I don’t know if any state has an extant gas chamber to adapt to this method, so it would be a large project from scratch.

  • Gas chambers have a pretty strong historical reputation for being terribly cruel and brutal. Even if nitrogen asphixia is supposed to be kinder and gentler, there is still history and popular perception to consider.

  • A gas chamber is a much larger volume of oxygen-bearing air to deplete than the contents of a full-face mask. It could take minutes (certainly tens of seconds) to reduce oxygen content below the level of consciousness. A mask eliminates useful consciousness in seconds, once the victim allows themselves to draw breath.

103

I guess that makes more sense rather than flooding an entire chamber and having to pump out the gas.

104

Also, i think a condemned person is allowed to have clergy or something nearby, which would be tricky and dangerous in a chamber.

105

Firing squad is legal in 4 states I believe. No worries on supply constraints.

106

At least the condemned person isn’t required to load the guns or something, although I think a bullet to the back of the head is probably more of a sure thing.