"Alabama's Controversial Bid: Executing Prisoners with Nitrogen as a First"

Alabama is seeking to become the first state to execute a prisoner using nitrogen hypoxia, a method that involves depriving the inmate of oxygen by making them breathe pure nitrogen. The state has asked the Supreme Court to set an execution date for death row inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith. While nitrogen hypoxia is authorized in three states, it has never been used. Proponents argue it would be painless, but opponents liken it to human experimentation. The disclosure is expected to trigger legal battles over the constitutionality of the method. Alabama attempted to execute Smith by lethal injection last year but faced difficulties, prompting a pause on executions for an internal review. Smith was convicted in the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of a preacher's wife.