In large enough doses, morphine depresses breathing while keeping dying patients relatively comfortable until the end. So why can’t death row prisoners use lethal amounts of morphine instead of a dodgy cocktail of drugs that become difficult to get as soon as drug companies realize what they’re being used for?
In: Chemistry
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As others have said the drug companies refuse to sell or don’t want their name attached to controversial executions. Sure people die from morphine all the time but the manufacturers don’t want X companies version known as the harbinger of death in something that morally most are against.
Honestly the easiest and painless method is dirt cheap and been used by the end of life DIY group(s) for years something like Helium via mask or bag on head and the person has no gag/caugh reflex and just goes to sleep.
There was controversy years back over Exit Bag kits being sold for people with terminal illnesses since MAD has really only started to become available in some places.
Because morphine is just as hard to get your hands on (legitimately) and those same pharma companies will go nope the fuck nope, the second they see department of corrections order a blue whale sized supply of morphine
The other answers are incorrect.
A large dose of morphine will probably kill someone. It also might take quite a while. No one wants to be there for 40 minutes waiting for the heart to finally stop. Also, the victim can vomit or even seize. It’s often not at all pretty.
The current cocktail includes a paralytic and a medication that makes the heart stop pretty much right away. It’s not gruesome to watch, and it doesn’t take nearly as long a time as dying of hypoxia does.
I’ve a totally wandered, if fent is so cheap, why not use it to send people to the Pearly gates
I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.
Keep in mind that the entire raison d’etre of lethal injection is it’s theoretically a quick, humane, certain, and goof-proof death. This applies to everyone involved including but not limited to the staff who carry it out, the witnesses (media, families of the victim and the executee, state prison and corrections officials) and yes, even the executee. That’s why it was embraced as opposed to hanging, electrocution, gassing, and shooting.
Opioid overdoses are often none of those things.
It would take much time and lethal doses would be extremely varied between individuals (specially in those who already made chronical or recreative use of opioids in their life). Opioid poisoning can be pretty nasty. All in all it would be gruesome, expensive, and inefficient.
We have the guillotine. If I was being executed, I’d either choose that or a shotgun to the face.
They could just, you know, abolish the death sentence like a civilised country instead of having this dilemma.
Why not propofol? Had that a couple times for a colonoscopy and it was actually relaxing. MJ probably didn’t even realize it.
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