MAP: Lethal Injection By Far The Most Popular Execution Method In U.S.

MAP: Lethal Injection By Far The Most Popular Execution Method In U.S. Enlarge this image toggle caption Pat Sullivan/AP Pat Sullivan/AP States may continue using a popular but controversial drug in lethal injection executions, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday in a 5-4 decision. Sponsor Message Today, lethal injection is by far the most popular method of execution in US states, with all 31 states that authorize the death penalty using it, and many of those states have been using midazolam, as NPR's Nina Totenberg reported in April. The case wasn't just closely watched because it was about the contentious issue of capital punishment; it's also because states have had an increasingly difficult time getting a hold of lethal injection drugs in recent years. Several states have other forms of execution on the books — Utah, for example, reauthorized the use of firing squads earlier this year due to the shortage of injection drugs.