Ohio to switch to one drug for lethal injection

Ohio has become the first state to adopt a procedure for lethal injections that uses one drug, a method never before tried on U.S. inmates.

The state filed papers Friday in U.S. District Court saying it has decided to switch from a three-drug cocktail to a single injection of thiopental sodium into a vein. A muscle injection will be available as a backup.

The decision comes two months after an Ohio death row inmate walked away from an unsuccessful execution and subsequent executions were put on hold.

Several states have faced similar challenges, but Ohio is the 1st to drop the 3-drug approach in favor of one dose. The Death Penalty Information Center says it's never been attempted on humans.

The state's decision to move away from its 3-drug protocol comes two months after a death row inmate walked away from an unsuccessful execution and subsequent executions were put on hold.

The state has been looking for alternatives to the three-drug cocktail since a federal judge said it couldn't go forward with a second planned execution attempt of Romell Broom.

In the 1st attempt, Broom was unable to be executed Sept. 15 because officials couldn't find a suitable vein for the lethal injection.

The state said in the filing that its new execution method should lead to the dismissal of the primary constitutional challenge to its lethal injection methods.

Prison officials planned a briefing on the new injection procedure Friday afternoon.

It will use just 1 chemical, thiopental sodium, injected intraveously in a sufficient amount to cause death. The 2 other drugs currently used, pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride, will be dropped.

As a back-up, in cases like Broom's where a suitable vein cannot be located, a combination of 2 chemicals will be injected into muscle. Those drugs will be midazolam and hydromorphone.

Source: Associated Press, Nov. 13, 2009