Britain restricts export of lethal injection drug to US

British controls on sodium thiopental export means some US executions could be halted.

Business Secretary Vince Cable has said he will control the export of the anaesthetic drug sodium thiopental for use in capital punishment after campaigners took him to court.

Although it is not the outright ban for which campaigners have called, the move will make it more difficult for executions by lethal injection in a number of US states to go ahead.

A statement from the Department of Business Innovation and Skills said: "In light of new information the Business Secretary has today announced that the British Government will be placing controls on the export of sodium thiopental.

"The order will be made as soon as practicable and once in force, any person exporting this drug will require a licence issued by the Export Control Organisation."

Earlier this month, Cable was accused of "irrationality" at the High Court for his refusal to ban the export of sodium thiopental, which is one of three drugs used during the process of lethal injection.

A lawyer who was arguing the case of two death row prisoners, Edmund Zagorski and Ralph Baze, said that capital punishment was a clear violation of human rights and the UK government was supposed to be seeking to abolish the death penalty worldwide. It was therefore irrational and unlawful for Cable not to ban the sale of sodium thiopental for use in executions.

It seems Cable hopes that imposing export controls on sodium thiopental will strengthen his case.

A control on UK exports of sodium thiopental is likely to result in the staying of executions in a number of US states as there is currently a national shortage of the drug.

The sodium thiopental shortage has affected executions in California, Oklahoma and Kentucky, while Missouri's supply of the drug will expire in January.

The United States' sole manufacturer of the drug, Hospira, is experiencing problems with sourcing the active pharmaceutical ingredient. The company, for the record, disapproves of its product being used as a lethal injection component.

Source: The First Post, November 29, 2010

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