Drug manufacturer tells Ohio not to use their product for executions

**Logios** · January 28, 2011, 09:07 AM

The danish drug manufacturer H.Lundbeck has in a letter to prisons in Ohio protested against the use of its products as an anastetic during executions. This based on the companys ethical values of saving lives not taking lives.
http://www.cphpost.dk/business/busin...jections-.html
I live in Copenhagen close to the Lundbeck factory, and may one day work there. I am strongly against the death penalty, but I think it is up to the people of Ohio to decide if they want death penalty in their justice system or not, not up to me.
My point here is: Is it justifiable to impose your own ethics on others.
What about the world economys dependency on free trade, can you just say that someone can't buy what you sell?

**Enemy of the State** · January 28, 2011, 12:37 PM

What about the world economys dependency on free trade, can you just say that someone can't buy what you sell?

If you're forced to sell, that's pretty much the opposite of free trade. But this situation does not come up very often, usually people will offer their services to whoever since it means more profit. Furthermore, this not forcing ones ethics upon others, that would be the case if the company was forced to sell drugs to Ohio since they would essentialy have to take part in taking a human life.

**boofhead** · January 28, 2011, 12:45 PM

All the manufacturer can do is stop selling it there if they refuse, because it is legal to kill someone in Ohio. But that doesn't mean they can't get it via a third party.

Ohio really shouldn't be doing it in the medicinal fashion anyway (Hippocratic Oath and all that), but just using bullets or a rope.

Although it's not wrong of them to request that a state use their product ethically.

**~~removeduser_4536284751384~~** · January 28, 2011, 02:34 PM

that company can stop selling the drug to Ohio state if they want.

**Tiberios** · January 28, 2011, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by irelandeb

that company can stop selling the drug to Ohio state if they want.

Which the probably won't.

Anyway, they are probably just saying it to look like they are doing something and not get criticized back here for selling drugs that is used for executions. I really don't mind them selling it, nor do I mind them asking Ohio not to use it. However they cannot expect Ohio to follow their request.

**Jugurtha** · January 29, 2011, 09:52 PM

The USA should extend it's Cuban embargo on the State of Ohio until they drop this deplorable practice.

**Denny Crane!** · January 28, 2011, 05:25 PM

Awesome news I hope more people do it.

**Ó Cathasaigh** · January 30, 2011, 04:15 PM

Go back to the Chair, or the rope, or the firing squad, or the gas chamber, or the guillotine. If they don't want us to do it as humanely as possible, that's on them. Screw it, just inject them with straight poison without any anesthetic.

**~~removeduser_4536284751384~~** · January 30, 2011, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Ó Cathasaigh

Go back to the Chair, or the rope, or the firing squad, or the gas chamber, or the guillotine. If they don't want us to do it as humanely as possible, that's on them. Screw it, just inject them with straight poison without any anesthetic.

the rope and firing squad are both more humane than lethal injection.

**Ó Cathasaigh** · January 30, 2011, 04:25 PM

Let's do it then. I honestly don't care how it happens, so long as someone takes out the trash.

**Darkside** · February 04, 2011, 07:56 AM

I live in and was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Death penalty isn't going anywhere.

Not that I care. With any luck, 30 years from now I'll be retired on New Zealand while what's left of the US finally switches their official language status to bilingual and sells their great grandchildrens' assets and lives to China.

Yeah I said it. The US is going down.

**C-Rob** · February 04, 2011, 03:45 PM

Companies have the right to ask people not to use your product in a way you do not approve of, but they have absolutely no right to demand it or refuse service.

So yeah... Ohio rocks!

**~~removeduser_4536284751384~~** · February 05, 2011, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by C-Rob

Companies have the right to ask people not to use your product in a way you do not approve of, but they have absolutely no right to demand it or refuse service.

Yes they do.

they can say, "we won't sell you this if you use it for executions".Not that they will, but they have every right to.