Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced Friday that it will be putting controls on the distribution of its drugs in order to ensure none are used for lethal injections, The New York Times reports. The company's decision effectively ends the last open-market FDA-approved source for drugs used in executions. "Executing states must now go underground if they want to get hold of medicines for use in lethal injections," said Maya Foa of the London-based human rights advocacy group Reprieve.
While lethal injection is the preferred method of execution in the U.S., some states have resorted to using the electric chair, a firing squad, or gas chambers if the drugs are not available. Some states have also tried to import drugs from abroad or use straw buyers, only to have the drugs seized by federal agents.
"Pfizer makes its products to enhance and save the lives of the patients we serve," the company said in their statement, adding that Pfizer "strongly objects to the use of its products as lethal injections for capital punishment."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
More than 20 other American and European drug companies have imposed similar restrictions.
-
Aimee Betro: the Wisconsin woman who came to Birmingham to killIn the Spotlight US hitwoman wore a niqab in online lover's revenge plot
-
Facial recognition vans and policingThe government is rolling out more live facial recognition technology across England
-
Dive in! The best children's books to spark a love of readingThe Week Recommends These gripping stories will keep kids hooked until the last page
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murdersspeed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bailSpeed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambushSpeed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrialSpeed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside homespeed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confessionspeed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulderspeed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC paradespeed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack
