Steps Of Lethal Injection

In the twentieth century, lethal injection was introduced as a form of execution. The injection contains fatal dose of drugs intending to execute the subject. It is an alternate of old painful methods including hanging, firing squad, gas chamber, electrocution and beheading.
This method is gaining popularity not even in America but also in other parts of the world. American federal government and most states are using the method of lethal injection since 2005.
Dr Julius Mount Bleyer was the first person who proposed the concept of lethal injection in 1888 however his real idea was never used. British Royal Commission on Capital Punishment also considered on the idea but eventually rejected it.
Texas was the first state who used the lethal injection by the execution of first prisoner Charles Brookes in 1982 and now the 37 states are officially using the lethal injection.

Lethal injection is actually a three step procedure containing three different injections.

1. Sodium Thiopental: (Lethal Injection dosage: 2-5 grams) an anesthetic agent causes the offender unconscious in a few seconds

2. Pancuronium: (Lethal Injection dosage: 100 milligrams) paralyzes the skeletal striated muscles including diaphragm and the rest of the respiratory muscles.

3. Potassium Chloride : (Lethal Injection dosage: 100 mEq (milliequivalents)) stops the heart and causes the subject’s death by cardiac arrest.
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The argument of the opponents of the lethal injection is that the thiopental is an ultra-short acting barbiturate that may wear off anesthesia awareness and leads to consciousness and painful death