Alabama is set to carry out a nitrogen gas execution. What happens to the human body when you inhale nitrogen gas? 

WARNING: Inhaling pure Nitrogen is extremely poisonous, dangerous, and fatal due to lack of oxygen.

What Happens If You Inhale Nitrogen Gas?

September 26, 2024– Alabama is set to carry out a nitrogen gas execution. This would be the second in the nation’s history- very rare- as outlined in this article from AP News.

Alan Eugene Miller, who is 59 years old, is set to be executed with nitrogen gas. This comes after he was convicted of killing three men, Lee Holdbrooks, Christopher Scott Yancy, and Terry Jarvis, back in 1999. This article by AP News states that Alabama called off the previous 2022 attempt to execute Miller via lethal injection. He survived the attempt after an IV line could not be connected.

What Is Nitrogen Gas Execution?

Execution by nitrogen gas involves having the inmate breathe in pure nitrogen. This happens by putting a respirator gas mask over the convicted inmate’s face. As a result, the inmate is executed due to a lack of oxygen in which air that is breathable is replaced with just nitrogen gas.

Is Nitrogen Gas Toxic?

Nitrogen gas is not poisonous unless it is inhaled with no air, in which you will then proceed to pass out and die soon after due to lack of oxygen, as outlined here in the NY Times.

As further explained in this article by The Guardian, breathing in pure nitrogen seemingly causes bodily functions to fail as oxygen is needed to maintain them. Our bodily systems rely on oxygen to help make energy, as noted here. As a result, oxygen is vital to ensuring humans can engage in tasks such as; moving muscles or thinking.

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Published by HOLR Magazine