Is lethal injection inhumane? Euthanasia Execution drug controversy

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Recently I published an article concerning the use of drugs for executions and euthanasia. The article titled: Euthanasia drug - Execution drug controversy explained how drug companies are attempting to prevent drugs that they produce from being used for executions and yet the same drugs are being used for euthanasia and assisted suicide.

For instance, the ACLU wrote, concerning a drug cocktail that Nevada was planning to use to execute a prisoner as a risky and experimental drug cocktail. The ACLU article explained the side-effects of using this drug cocktail and concludes:

A government that would risk torturing someone to death is not dispensing justice or serving the public good. It is deeply troubling that Nevada government officials are barreling ahead with execution when the chances of torturing Dozier are so high.

These ACLU supports the use of the same or similar drugs for euthansia and assisted suicide.

Fox News reporter, Willie James Inman produced an interesting news report on the same controversy, execution by lethal injection. The Fox News report states:

Lethal injection, which became the death penalty method of choice after the electric chair was deemed too cruel, is now falling out of favor.

Drug companies are rebelling against it. States are fighting to keep it. And there is a new wave of controversy – and a slew of lawsuits – alleging that lethal injections are almost as inhumane as firing squads.

Now the future of legal injection is uncertain, and states find themselves looking for alternatives.

The Fox report explains that drug manufacturers are attempting to prevent their drugs from being used for executions but these companies are not concerned about the use of these drugs for euthanasia.

Drug manufactures such as Pfizer, Athenex, Akorn, Roche, Janssen and others have put out statements opposing the use of their products in executions. In 2016, Pfizer started imposing controls over its medicines to make sure they would not be used for lethal injection.

To be clear, I oppose capital punishment and I believe that the state should not have the right to kill, or be involved with killing its citizens. At the same time I believe that medical professionals should not have the right to kill or be involved with killing their patients.

I ask the question, how can a drug be considered risky, experimental and a form of torture in one circumstance (capital punishment), and a human right when it is used for euthanasia?

Every human person deserves to be treated with dignity, care and respect and the state should never have the right to kill its citizens or to give medical professionals the right in law to kill their patients.

Attitudes toward euthanasia are delusional. Killing people or encouraging people to self-kill is wrong.