DEA Busts State for Death Drug

“Those that live by the sword…” The phrase applies to those that live and die by way of regulations. In a real twist, the DEA seized drugs imported by the State of Georgia. The drug in question, sodium thiopental, was imported from a British pharmacy for use in lethal injections in the state.

Sodium thiopental is an ultra short acting barbiturate. It is popular in executions because of its quick onset, rendering prisoners unconscious within 30 to 45 seconds. Although it can be used to overdose and cause death, most protocols for execution add other drugs to stop the heart. The purpose of the sodium thiopental in this mix is cause anesthesia so the person doesn’t suffer. This last point is heavily debated. The drug is less popular in the medical community than propofol (the drug implicated in Michael Jackson’s death) which is a modern replacement.

The drug is no longer manufactured in the United States, but the death sentence protocol in Georgia calls for its use. Since executions are highly regulated, prison officials cannot easily modify it or switch drugs. Other states have the same problem, and a further twist in this case is that Georgia sold (maybe illegally) some of their imported supply to Kentucky.

The drug is regulated at the federal level by the DEA because it is a barbiturate, highly addictive and a Schedule III item (like Vicodin). Georgia is considering a switch to pentobarbital, another drug in the same class, so that executions can continue. However, this switch is sure to raise issues of “cruel and unusual punishment” – common when the drug cocktail is changed.

While it is unusual for the DEA to seize drugs from a state authority, it is unlikely that Georgia, or even any state authority, will be going to jail.

It also doesn’t look like another supplier will be found. The one from England operated out of the back of a driving school. One manufacturer has been found in India, but the drug is relatively fragile and there are concerns about shipping while maintaining proper storage conditions.