May 22, 2013

Weather

Mostly Cloudy

55°
Conditions at Wausau Downtown Airport, WI
Save Email Print Bookmark and Share
A A
Reporter: Associated Press

Drug Shortage Changes the way Texas Performs Executions

DALLAS (AP) -- Texas prison officials are changing the way they do executions due to a drug shortage.

Texas has been using the sedative pentobarbital in combination with two other drugs.

But the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said in a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday that it will now use pentobarbital by itself.

Department spokesman Jason Clark says the agency changed its protocol Monday because its stock of one of the other drugs expired.

Pentobarbital also is in short supply as its maker stopped selling it for executions last year. Texas officials said in May that the state had enough doses for 23 executions.

Texas began using pentobarbital last year to replace sodium thiopental, which became unavailable when its European supplier stopped making it under pressure from death penalty opponents.


All comments must adhere to the WSAW.com discussion rules.
powered by Disqus

News Videos

WSAW's Most Commented

powered by Disqus