perseus
Active member
For those who believe in capital punishment, but accept that we should have a more humane method of executing prisoners, why hasn't nitrogen asphyxiation been used? Perhaps this may be considered after the recent botched execution in Ohio.
Administering pure nitrogen, rather than merely blocking off the air supply, would avoid carbon dioxide build up. It is the carbon dioxide which causes the suffocating experiencg, therefore, breathing pure nitrogen should be relatively painless and untraumatic in physical terms. It seems very obvious.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_asphyxiation
Of course this wouldn't avoid the mental trauma of the execution. One alternative option would be to offer the prisoner the option of a suicide cell. Here they are placed in a cell by themselves in which they can place a mask over their face, the prisoner simply asphyxiates themselves by turning on the nitrogen stream. If they don't have the guts they have the option of leaving it for another day.
This might be not much use for the vigilante squad, but it would be a compromise between those who support and reject the death penalty by offering humane treatment and reducing the cost of keeping prisoners in jail for life.
Administering pure nitrogen, rather than merely blocking off the air supply, would avoid carbon dioxide build up. It is the carbon dioxide which causes the suffocating experiencg, therefore, breathing pure nitrogen should be relatively painless and untraumatic in physical terms. It seems very obvious.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_asphyxiation
Of course this wouldn't avoid the mental trauma of the execution. One alternative option would be to offer the prisoner the option of a suicide cell. Here they are placed in a cell by themselves in which they can place a mask over their face, the prisoner simply asphyxiates themselves by turning on the nitrogen stream. If they don't have the guts they have the option of leaving it for another day.
This might be not much use for the vigilante squad, but it would be a compromise between those who support and reject the death penalty by offering humane treatment and reducing the cost of keeping prisoners in jail for life.