Editing Lethal injection (section)

====Awareness====
Opponents of lethal injection believe that it is not painless as practiced in the United States. They argue that thiopental is an ultrashort-acting barbiturate that may wear off ([[anesthesia awareness]]) and lead to consciousness and an uncomfortable death wherein the inmates are unable to express discomfort because they have been paralyzed by the paralytic agent.<ref name=horizon>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/broadband/tx/executions/ |title=How to Kill a Human Being |series=Horizon |publisher=BBC |date=January 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219193825/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/broadband/tx/executions/ |archive-date=February 19, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Opponents point to sodium thiopental's typical use as an induction agent and not in the maintenance phase of surgery because of its short-acting nature. Following the administration of thiopental, pancuronium bromide, a paralytic agent, is given. Opponents argue that pancuronium bromide not only dilutes the thiopental, but, as it paralyzes the inmate, also prevents the inmate from expressing pain. Additional concerns have been raised over whether inmates are administered an appropriate amount of thiopental owing to the rapid redistribution of the drug out of the brain to other parts of the body.<ref name = horizon/>

Additionally, opponents argue that the method of administration is also flawed. They contend that because the personnel administering the lethal injection lack expertise in anesthesia, the risk of failure to induce unconsciousness is greatly increased. In reference to this issue, [[Jay Chapman (physician)|Jay Chapman]], the creator of the American method, said, "It never occurred to me when we set this up that we'd have complete idiots administering the drugs".<ref name=":5">{{cite news |last=Weil |first=Elizabeth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/magazine/11injection.t.html |title=The Needle and the Damage Done |date=February 11, 2007 |newspaper=The New York Times |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203051825/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/magazine/11injection.t.html |archive-date=February 3, 2017 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Opponents also argue that the dose of sodium thiopental must be set for each individual patient, and not restricted to a fixed protocol. Finally, they contend that remote administration may result in an increased risk that insufficient amounts of the lethal-injection drugs enter the inmate's bloodstream.<ref name = horizon/>

In summary, opponents argue that the effect of dilution or of improper administration of thiopental is that the inmate dies an agonizing death through [[suffocation]] due to the paralytic effects of pancuronium bromide and the intense burning sensation caused by potassium chloride.<ref name = horizon/>

Opponents of lethal injection, as practiced, argue that the procedure is designed to create the appearance of serenity and a painless death, rather than actually providing it. Specifically, opponents object to the use of pancuronium bromide, arguing that it serves no useful purpose in lethal injection since the inmate is physically restrained. Therefore, the default function of pancuronium bromide would be to suppress the autonomic nervous system, specifically to stop breathing.<ref name = horizon/>