Lethal Injection Should Be Abolished In China

Capital punishment or the death penalty is a commonly held practice in many countries. It has been used to permanently punish prisoners and the different methods including gassing, shooting and lethal injection. Lethal injection is still considered a new method, but lawmakers, prisoners, and the community have all agreed that it is more humane for the prisoner and less damaging psychologically on the administrator. Many countries have legalized the death penalty, one of which is China.

China has the largest population in the world and their prisoner population exceeds their resources. Prior to the implementation of lethal injection China use to execute their prisoners through a firing squad in a public setting. During the event the local community would be able to watch the prisoner die and in the end, see that justice was served. This process was not always effective and it was also quite expensive so it was later changed to lethal injection.

When it comes to the death penalty many believe that lethal injection is the best solution.

This process not only allows a prisoner a quick and painless death but it is also less damaging psychologically on the executioners. Despite this, lethal injection should be terminated in China because it violates the Hippocratic Oath which states that doctors can not harm their patient. When a medical professional applies a lethal dose of medication to a prisoner they are in fact harming that patient because the dose will result in their death.

Capital punishment is a legal practice in China and it has been used on prisoners convicted of serious crimes against the community and the government. Many believe that the Chinese government uses capital punishment to halt political opposition, maintain order, and to decrease the rising rate of crimes. China has the highest rate of executions in the world and in 2008 1,718 executions were carried out in the country. (book page

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Lethal injection was added in 1997 and it is the preferred method of executing prisoners. Many cities have adopted this process with others slowly following suit. In 2001 the city of Kumming and Shanghai executed 70 to 50 people respectively through lethal injection. The change from gunshot death to lethal injection came from the growing community as well as international concern over morality. Due to this change the executions have been moved from the public forum and into an operating room setting. Instead of having guards carrying out the procedure they now use medical personnel.

The role of the medical professional is to place the needle in the arm, administer the medication, and confirm the patients death. Since medical professionals are now a part of the process there have been several concerns raised about ethicacy. One concern that has been raised is if the professional is violating the Hippocratic Oath. When a doctor is entering the medical field, they must swear that they will do no harm to their patient. Since they are essentially killing their patient they are in violation of this law. In opposition to this many believe that this is a non-issue and that the death penalty provides many benefits to the prisoner and community.

When it comes to executing their prisoners, China was largely known for executing their prisoners by firing squad. This method was not perceived well internationally and they were considered violators of human rights. To changed their negative self-image and to comply with the international human rights standards China adopted the practice of lethal injections. The drugs used in this procedure are similar those used in the United States and include pentothal, pavulon, and potassium chloride. The pentothal is used to render the prisoner unconscious, while the pavulon paralysis’s the heart and stops all pulmonary activities. The final medication, potassium chloride, cause the prisoner to experience a cardiac arrest which results in their death.

Lethal injections are considered a medical procedure because medical personnel have they skill sets required to complete the act. Several of their duties include placing the needle in the prisoner’s arm, monitoring the administration of the drug, monitoring the prisoner’s vital signs, calling the time of death, and signing the death certificate. The injections are administered in execution vans instead of prison facilities because the vans are more cost efficient and they are preferred by the surrounding community.

The community, prisoners, and policy makers have all expressed that they prefer this method of execution. The use of execution vans relieves the burden of heavy financial costs and it also protects the community. With the quieter method, they no longer hear the gunshots or witness the gruesome deaths of others. Lethal injection also gives the prisoner a faster and more dignified death.

Despite the supposed positives of this method there is still a group who could receive backlash for participating. The medical professions who are actively or even passively participating in the execution of a prisoner are breaking the Hippocratic oath. When it comes to the Hippocratic oath, medical professionals swear that they will not do any unnecessary harm to their patient. The professionals can also be at risk of losing the trust of their current and future patients if they are known for killing their past patients.

Executing prisoners is an unavoidable act that must be done to reduce the overcrowding issue seen in the jails as well to keep the community safe. Many countries including China are still considering this as an alternative, however, they have not found one that is as effective. If lethal injections are here to stay, then I believe we need to push the practice away from the medical community and into hands of the prison personnel. Allowing the jail to handle the issue helps to protect the medical personnel from breaking the Hippocratic oath as well as protecting the patients of the physicians. If a doctor can easily kill a prisoner what will keep them from doing the same thing to a patient? I wonder if we give physicians the right to kill prisoners then will they believe they have the right kill any of their patients especially those who are considered terminal.

Despite the concerns listed above there are many who believe that it is best to keep the practice the way that it is because it works. China has had issues in the past for violating the international human rights standards. Through the use of lethal injections, they are now conforming to the standards which protects the prisoner and those in charge of the procedure. Another reason the injections are preferred is because it protects the community and the prisoner.

Since the injections are now completed in execution vans instead of outdoor venues they community no longer must endure the psychological damage caused from seeing the executions or from having to hear the gunshots. Prisoners also prefer this method because it is less grisly and is a faster method of death than the firearm executions of the past. Finally, this practice helps reduce discrimination and corruption.

Despite these positives aspects of lethal injection I still believe that we need to put the practice in the hands of the jail system. The best way to do this would be to train specific prison personnel on the procedure and designate them a specific title. The title that is given to them should not connect them to the traditional medical system that is outside the prison system. The community can then recognize that those who perform injections on prisoners are different from those that practice in the community.

Lethal injections are needed in China because their previous method violated human rights and caused psychological damage to the prisoners and the surrounding community. There are concerns that allowing any medical personnel to engage in this act will be a violation to the Hippocratic oath and can also cause corruption on the side of the doctor. A solution to this problem could be to give the procedure fully to the prison system and have them deal with the issue. Despite the positives seen using injections instead of shootings I still believe that their needs to be a separation put into place in order to protect the doctor and to keep the trust of the community.