Summary
Louisiana is set to execute Jessie Hoffman by nitrogen gas on Tuesday, becoming the second state to use this method despite banning it for euthanizing cats and dogs under state law.
Lawyers argue the method constitutes cruel punishment, citing four recent Alabama executions where prisoners showed distress signs including violent shaking and convulsions.
Louisiana veterinarian Lee Capone, who helped ban animal gassing in the state, called Hoffman’s planned execution “horrific.”
A federal judge’s temporary stay was overturned Friday by the fifth circuit court. Three major nitrogen manufacturers have blocked their products from being used in executions.
You don’t even need any of that, you just need a positive pressure, constant circulation mask that vents a continuous stream of nitrogen, so that any exhaled co2 is immediately flushed out and replaced by nitrogen. But of course nobody on this side of the “just ice” system gives a shit about “improving” such a process.
You don’t even need that. Just a decent dust mask that seals over your mouth and nose that has an exhalation port on it, with the nitrogen inlet fitted in place of the dust cartridge. You need a dust mask that has a one way flapper valve over the inlet, which most do. Here’s an experiment I did as an emergency fresh air kit: Fill a large wheelie bin garbage bag with air and duct tape it closed over a 1 inch pipe. Attach the pipe in place of the dust cartridge with duct tape. Put the mask on and breath normally. The bag will deflate over about 15 minutes or so, depending on the size. I noticed no breathing distress like I was getting co2 buildup. If you fill the bag with nitrogen instead of air you have a death machine for $15 in parts. 15 minutes is plenty of time.