UK to ban export of lethal injection drugs to US

April 16, 2011

Britain announced Thursday  that it will ban the export to the US of three pharmaceutical drugs used for  in executions under the death penalty.

The three drugs are, and.

UK Business Secretary Vince Cable said the order will be formalized within the next few days.

Cable issued a statement saying, "We oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and are clear that British drugs should not be used to carry out lethal injections. That is why we introduced a control on last year—the first of its kind in the world. And it is also why we are now controlling the export of the other drugs used in lethal injections in the US."

Cable said he was requesting all  countries  in the EU to do the same in order to effectively control the export of these drugs.

Britain blocked the export of  sodium thiopental in November after the human rights group  sued the government to stop its exportation to the US. Sodium thiopental had been sold to the in two states, Georgia and Arizona, by a small wholesaler in London. The drug is legally used for lethal injections in the US but is in short supply there.

Pentobarbital, a sedative, is used to control continuous, as well as to treat a variety of other medical conditions. After sodium thiopental became scarce in the US late last year, the US began to use pentobarbital as a substitute.

The said in December that executions in the US had declined in  2010 compared to previous years, partly as a result of a sodium thiopental shortage.

The UK government said in a press release: "Having consulted UK suppliers of these drugs and other interested parties, the Government is satisfied that legitimate medical trade will not be hampered by the decision."