In the 2010s, American jurisdictions have experienced a shortage of lethal injection drugs, due to anti-death penalty advocacy and low production volume. Hospira, the only U.S. manufacturer of sodium thiopental, stopped making the drug in 2011. The European Union has outlawed the export of any product that could be used in an execution; this has prevented executioners from using EU-manufactured anesthetics like propofol which are needed for general medical purposes. Another alternative, pentobarbital, is also only manufactured in the European Union, which has caused the Danish producer to restrict distribution to U.S. government customers. COUNT 5
QSN1 What death penalty drug ceased to be manufactured in 2011? ANS1 sodium thiopental QSN2 Up until 2011, who manufactured sodium thiopental? ANS2 Hospira QSN3 What is the nationality of the company that makes pentobarbital? ANS3 Danish QSN4 Along with anti-death penalty advocacy, why has there been a shortage in drugs for lethal injections in the United States? ANS4 low production volume QSN5 The EU outlawed the export of products that could be used in what activity? ANS5 execution