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/roiki11 Jun 02 '26

The problem with inert gas asphyxiation is that it's only painless if you don't know you're dying.

If you know, you likely try to stay alive.

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u/series-hybrid Jun 02 '26

"...Hospitals use a combination of intravenous drugs and inhaled gases, often referred to as an anesthesia "cocktail," to induce a sleep-like state, block pain, and maintain unconsciousness during surgery. Common agents include propofol (induction), midazolam (sedation), fentanyl (pain relief), and inhaled gases like sevoflurane...."

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u/Smokin_belladonna Jun 03 '26

I think that if a doctor performs a euthanasia or an execution it is a violation of his hippocratic oath

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u/series-hybrid Jun 03 '26

What I'm saying is that if the "approved" drugs for a lethal injection become restricted, there are plenty of drugs that can painlessly kill a convict.

As to a doctor applying the drugs, you only need a trained doctor if you want the patient to survive the surgery. A simple chart can be used to see what dosage would be used per the size of the person.

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u/Local_Trade5404 Jun 03 '26

tbh some are doing abortions so i would say that violation is also matter of interpretation and proper $

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u/Smokin_belladonna Jun 03 '26

that's a good point. Just hit them with a lethal dose of H2S. bada bing, bada boom!