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The Sodium Thiopental Shortage

By Steve Hall

The worldwide shortage of sodium thiopental is being felt in execution chambers.  Today, at the Poynter Institute's website Al Tompkins posts, "States Deal with Impact of Death Penalty Drug Shortage." There is a worldwide shortage of a drug called thiopental sodium, which is a key ingredient of the "cocktail" states use when they lethally inject inmates. The shortage is causing states to reconsider when and how to execute condemned inmates. The shortage caused a last minute stay of execution for Jeffrey Matthews in Oklahoma last week, as noted here. Yesterday's Purcell Register reported, "State believes drug in compliance with statute," written by Susie Williams-Allen. Matthews and his attorney also objected due to one of the drugs used in the lethal injection process being substituted...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on August 27, 2010 (boomark / email).