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Post by Rev. Agave on Jan 22, 2011 14:28:50 GMT -6
What say you? www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Nitrogen_asphyxiationNitrogen asphyxiation is an occasional cause of accidental death and a theoretical method of capital punishment advocated by Stuart A. Creque in a 1995 article in National Review, "Killing with kindness – capital punishment by nitrogen asphyxiation." The painful experience of suffocation is not caused by lack of oxygen intake but rather because of a buildup of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream which is exhaled under normal circumstances.
When a human (or any other mammal) breathes in pure nitrogen, they exhale carbon dioxide without resupplying oxygen. Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that comprises approximately 78 percent of the Earth's atmosphere. As such, the subject would detect no abnormal sensation. This leads to asphyxiation without the painful and traumatic feeling of suffocation. Therefore, it is viewed by some as a more humane way to end a human life in a controlled setting. As the principal component in air, nitrogen poses no significant risk upon discharge.
Contents 1 Overview 1.1 Accidental death 1.2 Awareness of impending death 2 Physiology 3 References 4 Related links 5 External links
Overview There are substantial moral arguments against and in favor of capital punishment by any means.[1] Although execution by nitrogen asphyxiation was discussed briefly in print more than 10 years ago (Creque 1995) and circulates in various online forums, it is not presently used by any nation. Switching to this procedure would require a change of law. Legislative debate on such a proposal could focus public attention and provide opponents a forum to argue for abolition (Seitz 2001).
As breathing is an absolute requirement for human life, no physical condition of a living subject can prevent the prompt completion of this procedure. Properly condemned individuals could be executed without physical trauma and without the arguably unethical use of medical skill, essentially by withdrawing life support. Some people experience claustrophobia when presented with an anesthetic gas mask before surgery, and some subjects might react similarly.
Execution by lethal injection, in contrast, requires medical skill and has occasionally been prolonged when it was difficult to insert the injection needle into an open vein.[2]
Accidental death Accidental nitrogen asphyxiation causes about 8 deaths per year in the United States,[3] which is asserted to be more than from any other industrial gas. For example in 1981, shortly before the launch of the first Space Shuttle mission, two technicians lost consciousness and died after they entered the Orbiter aft compartment which was pressurized with pure nitrogen as a precaution against fire.[4] A laboratory assistant died in Scotland in 1999, apparently from asphyxiation, after liquid nitrogen spilled in a basement storage room.[5]
Death by accidental hypoxia can occur in confined spaces or depressurized aircraft. Accidental asphyxiation from compression of the chest or abdomen, which prevents inhalation, has occurred in some police restraint positions[6] and in crowding or stampede disasters. Some toxic gases, such as hydrogen cyanide, prevent cells from aerobically producing ATP for energy and cause death by asphyxiation. Carbon monoxide binds to haemoglobin, which reduces oxygen transportation in the blood stream and causes death by asphyxiation.
In a vivid example of how quickly an oxygen deficient environment can kill due to hypoxia, four people died of hypoxia in a water testing shack in Kimberley, B.C. at the formerly operating Sullivan Mine. A contractor sampling water at the shack was found dead by his coworker days later, prompting him to call 911 before himself being incapacitated by hypoxia. The two paramedics who arrived on the site entered the small shack investigating the call, and later died of hypoxia themselves as a result. A report later found that the oxygen level in the room would only require the time of two inhalations before someone would lose consciousness from the lack of oxygen. The reason an oxygen deficient environment can kill so quickly is that when oxygen levels are low enough, the natural diffusion of oxygen in the alveoli reverses, causing the body to rapidly lose its own blood oxygen. The cause for why the otherwise functioning shack became oxygen deficient is still a mystery at this time.
The passengers and crew of Helios Airways Flight 522 were incapacitated by hypoxia leading to the flight crashing on the 14th of Aug 2005.
Awareness of impending death Every condemned individual is aware of impending death in general, as a result of court proceedings, transport to the execution site, and preparation of the execution equipment. At the shortest time scale, however, nitrogen asphyxiation provides little warning of the moment when final unconsciousness arrives.
Physiology A typical human breathes between 12 and 20 times per minute at a rate primarily influenced by carbon dioxide concentration, and thus pH, in the blood. With each breath, a volume of about 0.6 liters is exchanged from an active lung volume (tidal volume + functional residual capacity) of about 3 liters. Normal air is about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1 percent argon, carbon dioxide, and other gases. After just two or three breaths of nitrogen, the oxygen concentration in the lungs would be low enough for some oxygen already in the bloodstream to exchange back to the lungs and be eliminated by exhalation. Crude simulation of oxygen transport through the lungs and blood stream suggests that the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood would be about 50 percent of saturation 1 minute after switching gases and would reach zero within 3 minutes.
Unconsciousness in cases of accidental asphyxia can occur within 1 minute. Loss of consciousness results from critical hypoxia, when arterial oxygen saturation is less than 60% (Fisher n.d.). “At oxygen concentrations [in air] of 4 to 6%, there is loss of consciousness in 40 seconds and death within a few minutes” (DiMaio & DiMaio 2001:231). As this procedure provides an atmosphere completely devoid of oxygen, the sequence of effects should be expected to occur even more quickly. At an altitude greater than 43,000 ft (13,000 m), where the ambient oxygen concentration is equivalent to 3.6% at sea level, an average individual is able to perform flying duties efficiently for only 9 to 12 seconds without oxygen supplementation (Fisher n.d.). The US Air Force trains air crews to recognize their individual subjective signs of approaching hypoxia. Some individuals experience headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, or euphoria, but some become unconscious without warning (Fisher n.d.). Equivalent training is unlikely for a condemned individual, making unconsciousness without warning probable, although as much as a 30 second warning is possible.
Loss of consciousness may be accompanied by convulsions (Fisher n.d.) and is followed by cyanosis and cardiac arrest. About 7 minutes of oxygen deprivation causes death of the cerebral cortex and presumably the medulla oblongata, which controls breathing and heart action.
References Creque, SA. "Killing with kindness – capital punishment by nitrogen asphyxiation", National Review, 1995-10-11. Retrieved on 2007-01-24. DiMaio V & DiMaio D. "Forensic Pathology, Second Edition. Chapter 8, Asphyxia", ISBN 0-8493-0072-X 2001. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. Fisher PW. "High altitude respiratory physiology, chapter 2 in USAF Flight Surgeon’s Guide", n.d. Retrieved on 2007-02-07. Seitz KN. "The Transition of Methods of Execution in North Carolina: A Descriptive Social History of Two Time Periods, 1935 and 1983", PhD dissertation (Sociology) Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University, 2001. Retrieved on 2007-01-23. "Methods of Execution". Retrieved on 2007-01-25. "Some Examples of Post-Furman Botched Executions". Retrieved on 2007-01-25. "Hazards of Nitrogen Asphyxiation", U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2003-06-11. Retrieved on 2007-02-15. "Shuttle Tragedy", Time, 1981-03-31. Retrieved on 2007-01-27. "UK: Scotland Inquiry after man dies in chemical leak", BBC, 1999-10-25. Retrieved on 2007-01-27.
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Post by HANGMAN1981 on Jan 22, 2011 14:35:14 GMT -6
I prefer the noose.
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Post by honkybouffant on Jan 22, 2011 14:35:29 GMT -6
There aren't many things more abhorrent than listening to killers trying to decide which method best placates their broken conscience.
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Post by Rev. Agave on Jan 22, 2011 14:48:49 GMT -6
Another good article from this board: prodp.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=07&thread=21082&page=1#5308Solution: helium chamber instead of lethal injection
For executions in death penalty cases there is no need to use lethal injection which can and should be discontinued completely whether or not the Supreme Court rules it, or any particular form of it, unconstitutional as a "cruel and unusual punishment" under the Eighth Amendment.
The method which should be used instead is helium chamber.
The prisoner sits inside a small chamber that is airtight but open at the bottom. Helium gas is pumped in at the top displacing all the air since helium is more than seven times lighter than air.
Within about one minute the prisoner simply passes out with no suffering whatsoever and dies within five minutes.
The prisoner does not "gasp for air" because - many people do not realize this - the gasping for air reflex results not from absence of oxygen but rather, from presence of carbon dioxide. Ask, for instance, the astronauts about this. Or research it on the internet - you'll find various reports of people who died when exposed to pure atmospheres of helium (such as two students in a balloon) or nitrogen (such as technicians cleaning boilers) etc.. The reason they died was that they were completely deprived of oxygen yet experienced no gasping for breath since they were in a relatively large space and therefore only a tiny carbon dioxide buildup, percentagewise, was occurring from their exhalations - so, being in zero discomfort, not even getting a headache since the time span was short, they were totally unaware of impending doom.
In addition to guaranteed complete lack of suffering by the prisoner (thus avoiding any label of "cruel and unusual"), another huge advantage of helium chamber is that it's one-stage ultra-simple and ultra-low-tech with no doctors or other medical personnel needed to carry out the sentence thus removing this severe difficulty of lethal injection. There's not even a need for anesthesia since the prisoner breathing nearly pure, oxygen-free helium can take nice deep breaths, feeling as though everything is normal, and then simply loses consciousness comfortably, painlessly, and peacefully.
(Some would prefer that the prisoner suffer during execution, as punishment for his or her crime; others believe the death penalty should never be implemented under any circumstances, not even against, say, Osama bin Laden; but these are political topics unrelated to this discussion which addresses technical concerns only and assumes (a) that executions will continue in the United States and (b) that we want to make them free of any "pain and suffering" whatsoever to the condemned individuals.)
Furthermore, the procedure is completely safe to those administering it and to observers et al. because any stray or excess helium rises to the ceiling harmlessly and dissipates. Indeed, anyone in the vicinity who might be concerned about this can simply talk to themselves in a low tone continuously..."testing one two three, testing one two three"..."la de da, la de da, la de da"...and if their voice doesn't rise then they're not in presence of significant amounts of helium.
Any inert gas such as nitrogen or neon or etc., purged of oxygen, could be used in the same fashion to execute the prisoner humanely but helium's lighter-than-air attribute makes it the perfect practical choice for these reasons just stated. During the early stages of the procedure the prisoner will of course be breathing out carbon dioxide which, since it's about one and a half times heavier than air, will quickly be forced downwards by the helium and thus not be reinhaled by the prisoner causing gasping for breath.
Be aware: there is no need to use a poisonous gas such as hydrogen cyanide (old-time gas chambers) or carbon monoxide (Dr. Kevorkian). Helium devoid of oxygen accomplishes the same result - death of the prisoner - passively but with just as much certainty as the toxic gases do.
Technical notes: the helium could be pumped into the chamber from the bottom but this would cause a lot more mixing of helium and air, and thus less reliability, than pumping it in at the top. To make sure plenty of helium enters the chamber so as to flush out the air thoroughly, it can simply be pumped in at unrestricted quantity even until its volume substantially exceeds the volume of the chamber, in which case excess helium will underflow the bottom of the chamber exiting into the surrounding room a distance of a few centimeters then rising along the outsides of the chamber up to the top and above the chamber. To accommodate this, it's desirable to allow extra space in the room over the chamber including a vent to the outside so that most of the excess helium exits vertically and does not move towards observers et al.. Or if the room simply has a very high ceiling with several open windows located near the ceiling well above the heads of prison personnel and observers, this will be sufficient. Or a hood can be provided similar to the ones used in chemistry labs. Even if a significant percentage of the helium does not rise straight vertically but disperses diagonally or horizontally due to turbulence or whatever, there won't be a hazard to anyone in the room because the helium is completely non-poisonous, its concentration will be very low, and it will cause virtually no decrease in concentration of oxygen in the room. Remember, helium has a very healthy margin for error - it's used at holiday parades, it's used at indoor political rallies, it's used at children's birthday parties. Because helium chamber offers these natural safety features, construction and maintenance should be relatively simple, straightforward, and inexpensive. An additional option, not really necessary but worth mentioning, would be that a second, larger and much taller, "outer" chamber, airtight but open at the top, could enclose the chamber in which the prisoner is located; the excess helium underflowing the bottom of the "inner" chamber would be confined within the outer chamber and forced to rise to its top near the ceiling where, upon exiting, it would tend to remain, thus decreasing even further the likelihood that anyone in the room would be exposed to significant quantities of helium; or, for total assurance, the outer chamber could remain sealed at its top with a conduit to the outside. An esthetic preference is that the hissing sound when pumping the helium should be audible - thus signalling onset of the procedure - but not excessively loud; no doubt this can be accomplished fairly easily such as by padding the flow valve. If the (inner) chamber is relatively large and constructed of lightweight materials so the helium might cause it to float upwards like a balloon, then weights can be placed or the chamber can be latched down.
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Post by Potassium_Pixie on Jan 24, 2011 8:27:55 GMT -6
When I first heard about Nitrogen for an execution I actually came up with a whole set-up that could be used.
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Post by reapwysow on Jan 24, 2011 15:22:17 GMT -6
There is no "humane" way to kill anything.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2011 15:35:40 GMT -6
There aren't many things more abhorrent than listening to killers trying to decide which method best placates their broken conscience. That's why for many pro-DP advocates, its really not about "justice", but about inflicting as much pain/suffering on the individual as possible or advocating to make it public as forms of display/amusement. That's why there is so much complain against lethal injection, as it is so often characterized as too "easy" and "far more humane than the victims got", etc...etc...
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Post by arizonavet on Jan 28, 2011 8:23:32 GMT -6
There aren't many things more abhorrent than listening to killers trying to decide which method best placates their broken conscience. "broken conscience"? We all have consciences to some degree HB.... The main difference here, is OUR consciences are activated by seeing a multiple murderer/child rapist be released, or escape from prison.. and do his horrible deed to yet another child.... yep, this drives my conscience absolutly NUTS. While YOU'RE conscience activates over SAVING the pig knowing full well that they can escape, or be released....to do their dirty deed over & over..... You sure you want to talk about a pro's conscience?
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Post by honkybouffant on Jan 28, 2011 11:28:42 GMT -6
There aren't many things more abhorrent than listening to killers trying to decide which method best placates their broken conscience. "broken conscience"? We all have consciences to some degree HB.... The main difference here, is OUR consciences are activated by seeing a multiple murderer/child rapist be released, or escape from prison.. and do his horrible deed to yet another child.... yep, this drives my conscience absolutly NUTS. While YOU'RE conscience activates over SAVING the pig knowing full well that they can escape, or be released....to do their dirty deed over & over..... Wrong.
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Post by arizonavet on Jan 28, 2011 11:36:14 GMT -6
"broken conscience"? We all have consciences to some degree HB.... The main difference here, is OUR consciences are activated by seeing a multiple murderer/child rapist be released, or escape from prison.. and do his horrible deed to yet another child.... yep, this drives my conscience absolutly NUTS. While YOU'RE conscience activates over SAVING the pig knowing full well that they can escape, or be released....to do their dirty deed over & over..... Wrong. If the absolute certainty of unexecuted murderers killing again bothers you.... then I stand corrected. (but your statements here do not reflect that emotion)
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Post by honkybouffant on Jan 28, 2011 11:42:04 GMT -6
If the absolute certainty of unexecuted murderers killing again bothers you.... then I stand corrected. (but your statements here do not reflect that emotion) What?
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