Missouri will become to the first state to use the drug propofol for executions, according to a WSLS report. Propofol has not been previously tested for lethal injections, prompting critics to argue that the drug may cause unnecessary pain.
Previously, all 33 states allowing the death penalty used an identical three-drug process for executions: sodium thiopental was administered to put the inmate to sleep, followed by two drugs to stop the heart and lungs. But a federal judge barred the use of sodium thiopental in March after ruling that it was illegally imported.
In response to the ruling, states have turned to pentobarbital as a replacement for sodium thiopental. Pentobarbital has been used in approximately 50 executions over the past two years, said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.
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Previously, all 33 states allowing the death penalty used an identical three-drug process for executions: sodium thiopental was administered to put the inmate to sleep, followed by two drugs to stop the heart and lungs. But a federal judge barred the use of sodium thiopental in March after ruling that it was illegally imported.
In response to the ruling, states have turned to pentobarbital as a replacement for sodium thiopental. Pentobarbital has been used in approximately 50 executions over the past two years, said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.
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