What? You didn’t see this landmark decision today in your paper? That’s because you did not look closely enough.
The state of Arizona was just allowed to execute a prisoner with sodiumthiopental
imported from Great Britain . Sodiumthiopental is used to sedate the condemned, before he is given the drugs that will kill him. Arizona argued that the imported drug is every bit as effective as the domestic drug which has been approved by the FDA. The Supreme Court agreed and ok’d the medical procedure using the British import.
http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=1459626Sodiumthiopental is the first drug in the so called “three drug cocktail” used to kill folks in our prisons. Sodiumthiopental is a quick acting barbiturate which renders the victim unconscious so that he does not suffer through the next two steps. Pancuronium (Pavulon) is drug number two. It is a muscle relaxer, however it has no anesthetic or sedative effect. Given alone, it would paralyze the victim, so that he could not move or otherwise indicate that he is alert and in pain or distress. It’s purpose is to make sure that those invited to witness lethal injections will not be distrubed by the condemned’s deaths throes. An injection of potassium chloride is what actually causes the heart to stop.
If the condemned were given only pancuronium and then potassium chloride, he would be unable to move or indicate that he was suffering unbearable agony during the time it takes for brain death to occur once the heart is stopped. Brain death does not start for 4 to 6 minutes and is not complete for about 10 minutes. A bullet in the brain would be more humane.
In allowing the Arizona execution the Supreme Court indicated either 1) it does not give a flying fuck how inhumane or cruel executions in the U.S. are or 2) that imported drugs are every bit as safe and effective as those manufactured and sold in the U.S.---often at a much higher price than the same drugs sold in other countries.
Up until now, the FDA---which has a revolving employment policy with the pharmaceutical industry---and Congress---which gets a lot of money from Big Pharm have insisted that the drugs used in Canada and Europe are not good enough for Americans. They claim that they are
protecting us when they interfere with our ability to buy medications at a reduced cost from other countries.
This Supreme Court decision ought to provide fresh ammunition to those who do not think Granny should have to choose between controlling her blood pressure and eating.
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