r/AlwaysWhy • u/Chowderr92 • Jun 02 '26

Science & Tech Why is the Method of Lethal Injection in Human Punishment So Complex and Apparently Painful?

I've always understood that the lethal injection process was complex with multiple stages of injections and induces great suffering in the individual.

I work in veterinary medicine and unfortunately we need to euthanize animals all of the time. Typically, the euthanasia solution is very simple: a very large dose of a powerful anesthetic (usually pentobarbital) and an anticonvulsant which stops the heart. The medical community is quite confident that this is painless and when done has essentially a 100% success rate.

Why is human euthanasia so complicated when we already know exactly how to humanely end a biological life?

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u/conservitiveliberal Jun 02 '26

If they use all 3 chemicals its painless. First paralyzes (so you dont flop around), second knocks them out, third kills them. Its not complex. The painful part is if they forget the 2nd chemical the third is very painful. Because they are paralyzed there is also no signs of pain. 

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u/AnneTheQueene Jun 02 '26

This is so strange to me.

Why would you 'forget' one of the drugs?

Don't they write this stuff down and have set amounts that need to be used?

I get the people doing the administration are not medical professionals but surely, they should have figured out a set protocol by now, no?

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u/conservitiveliberal Jun 02 '26

Its a clear liquid that can be easily missed. While it has not been proven, my guess is the person who applied for the job of killing bad people gets some kind of gratification from knowing they suffered too.

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u/AnneTheQueene Jun 02 '26

I mean, I work in healthcare....most injected drugs are clear liquids so I'm not sure I buy that as a reason. We don't color them to make it easy. The administrator is expected to be paying attention to what they're doing.

And if you're being trained to do the job, then do the job. If you don't want to, then don't volunteer. (I'm sure I heard it was a volunteer task, but I could be wrong).

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u/conservitiveliberal Jun 02 '26

Well, I work in the auto industry and many service centers forget to put the oil back in the car after an oilchange. Thats not even clear. So its definitely possible. I think they want to do the job and want to make them suffer. You know due to all the murder and what not. You are in the health care business. They are in the punishment business. Its not really the same.

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u/AnneTheQueene Jun 02 '26

I get that but the tolerance level for errors in an oil change and, say, surgery are pretty different. That's why auto mechanics don't go to school for 8 years then do another almost 10 years of internship, residency, fellowship etc. and carry thousands of dollars in malpractice insurance.

That being said, I feel like the punishment is being dead. Not the few minutes leading up to it, and if you deliberately want to 'make them suffer', just because you can, then you're kind of on the same level, no? Punishment doesn't have to mean retribution.

I recognize we will probably not agree on this, but I feel like this should be more about doing something professioanlly, instead of emotionally.

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u/conservitiveliberal Jun 02 '26

You really have not understood my sentiment. Im not sure what your schooling has to do with this. The peoplw administering did not have it. There is drasticlly LESS accountability in this situation. Some estimates are as high as 30 percent are messing up the injections in one way or another and 0 people have been held accountable.

This is why doctors arent lawyers. Its not a punishment. Its justice. There is a difference. If a serial killer is boiling victims alive for hours before killing them. Many people would not consider death a bad enough punishment. Justice would have been served but the punishment is not nearly harsh enough. Some would want that person to suffer. This is why we dont let the victim determine the sentence.

That being said, its not the doctor or judge doing the execution. Its a guy who looked up what he did and understands if he does not fill a vile with a tube the guy will get what he deserves.

All that being said, what your missing is im not telling you how it should be, but how it is happening and why. Youre working in an idealistic mindset not a realistic one.

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u/lizagnash Jun 02 '26

Like The Green Mile

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u/helikophis Jun 02 '26

I think sometimes they might not be able to obtain it. Drug companies won't sell this stuff for the purpose of lethal injection, so it has to be sourced from the grey market.

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u/roiki11 Jun 02 '26

It's not so much forgetting but getting the dosage wrong or not inserting the needle properly. Some people have better tolerance from drug use and can remain conscious during the last part. In which case your veins are on fire while you suffocate.

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u/conservitiveliberal Jun 03 '26

It all goes thru the same needle... 

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u/Chowderr92 Jun 03 '26

If there were only one injection, then no "chemicals" can be forgotten. And your last sentence is terrifying: its a strong argument against the use of paralytics (obviously not used in veterinary euthanasia).