How does lethal injection work? What does it actually do to the person?
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The most common protocol is a three-step process:
– An anesthetic renders the inmate unconscious.
– A paralytic prevents them from moving.
– The final drug stops their heart.
The big issue is that part one doesn’t always work. If the anesthetic isn’t effective, in inmate remains awake and fully aware of the next two steps. It is seen by many as cruel, and many argue that the protocol is about making the death _seem_ painless, rather than _actually_ painless.
The multistep process is much more about making the executioners feel better than anything to do with being humane to the condemned. There is/was a shortage of lethal injection drugs in the US because of this. In effect they mostly paralyze the heart after the condemned is unconscious.
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