U.K. Limits Execution Drug's Export (to the US)

Wall Street Journal ^ | 11/29/2010 | Nathan Koppel and Jeanne Whalen

[markomalley]

The U.K., in a decision to underscore its "moral opposition to the death penalty," plans to limit the export of a drug used widely in U.S. executions.

The U.K. government said Monday in a London court that it would issue an order requiring anyone supplying the anesthetic thiopental sodium to the U.S. to first obtain an export license.

Licenses will be denied if a risk exists that thiopental will be used in executions, said a government spokesman.

The decision follows a lawsuit filed this month in U.K's High Court on behalf of condemned Tennessee inmate Edmund Zagorski. The suit was prompted by the state's alleged ordering of thiopental from a foreign source, possibly in the U.K., to carry out Mr. Zagorski's execution. The suit sought a U.K. ban on thiopental exports.

The move could complicate future executions, as the sole U.S. supplier of thiopental announced earlier this year it won't have a new batch ready until the first quarter of 2011, at the earliest.

The shortage of the drug has sent states scrambling for alternative sources—or alternative drugs. Last week, Oklahoma received a judge's approval to use pentobarbital, which has been used in animal euthanasia, for human executions.

Arizona executed inmate Jeffrey Landrigan last month using thiopental from the U.K.

California, which has put off one execution in part due to the thiopental shortage, announced last week that it has ordered a large supply of thiopental that won't expire until 2014. It is believed this supply was secured overseas, since Hospira Inc., the U.S. maker of the drug, has said its current domestic supply of thiopental expires in 2011.

[Bronzy]

The offenders on death row can be transferred to Utah where the firing squad is used.

[umgud]

That’s OK, we can use the ole lead poisoning method or the hemp or gas or.............

[jakerobins]

But I bet they would have no Moral Qualms about sending drugs for Abortions........

Well forget it...we can kill them by good ol’ fashioned “Lead” poisoning! Firing Squad.....

[nomad]

WTF,why can`t they simply use Barbiturate and Opiate over dose as the method of execution,quick and painless. Its like these people have never heard of the stories of junkies who get an uncut dosage of pure smack and die with the needle still in their arms.

[samtheman]

Too bad we don’t have the guts, as a nation, to go back to hanging, or the electric chair, or the gas chamber and, with each and every execution, issue a public service announcement thanking Great Britain for “weaning America off drugs”.

[rockinqsranch]

SHEESH!!! DANG! If the crime warrants execution then kill ‘em. What’s this crap about some drug anyway!? The World is strung out on drugs!?

If the crime was so heinous they deserve to die then Hang ‘em, shoot ‘em, electrocute ‘em, or gas ‘em.

Oh Yeah, and UK, up yours.

[cripplecreek]

I’d be happy if we just went back to manufacturing things here. We can make the drugs, ropes, electric chairs, or whatever.

[terycarl]

I’d be happy if we just went back to manufacturing things here. We can make the drugs, ropes, electric chairs, or whatever.

.22 shells are like a penny each, end results are exactly the same....dead

[Ruth C]

I’m with you :) Wow, new construction jobs or rehab jobs to build or refurbish a plant, new chemist jobs, new packing jobs, new shipping jobs, a step in the right directions for employment!