Lethal injection is the primary method of execution, as it is regarded as the most “humane” way to carry out the death penalty and it was said to be quick and painless. However, reports say that’s not always the case, and when it is botched, the inmate may experience what some would describe as torture (per NPR). Dr. Joel Zivot, who studied the autopsy reports of several inmates, said, “I began to see a picture that was more consistent with a lower death. A death of organ failure, of a dramatic nature that I recognized would be associated with suffering.”
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According to How Stuff Works, execution via lethal injection is carried out using three types of drugs. The first one is an anesthetic that puts the inmate to sleep, the second is a paralyzing agent that halts the breathing, and the third is the toxic agent that induces cardiac arrest. If the right doses are given and everything goes according to plan, the inmate should be dead within minutes after administering the final injection. In most cases, however, the process isn’t carried out by a medical professional, and there have been accounts of inmates surviving the first attempt of execution.
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