Correctional Physicians News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Kenneth Smith’s execution by nitrous oxide asphyxiation raises ethical issues and asks us to rethink whether health professionals should participate in capital punishment On 25 January 2024, Kenneth Eugene Smith was killed in Alabama in the first state sanctioned nitrous oxide execution. In his last moments, he was strapped to a gurney and hooked up to a pulse oximeter, electrocardiography pads, and a full face air respirator. Nitrous oxide was touted as a humane, peaceful execution method that would put people to sleep in mere seconds, followed by a swift and calm death.1 According to witne...

I read with interest Wednesday’s article about the upcoming execution in Alabama using nitrogen gas. I especially noted the quotation by Dr. Jeffrey Keller of the American College of Correctional Physicians, where he stated that the procedure would be like “putting a bag over one’s head.”

Death row inmate Kenneth Smith was executed in Alabama Thursday night, becoming the first person in the US to be put to death by nitrogen gas, officials confirmed.

Kenneth Smith has become the first-ever inmate to be killed by nitrogen gas after Alabama state officials used a gas mask to replace breathable air with nitrogen, depriving him of oxygen

Kenneth Smith, 58, became the first-ever inmate in the USA to be put to death by toxic gas following an execution at Alabama's Holman Correctional Facility