Reactions

Letters to the editor

COVID-19 special issue

I was blown away by the Jan. 18/25, 2021, edition on COVID-19. The entire issue was extremely thorough, well written, well edited, and incredibly informative. This is the most standout issue I have come across in my 30 years as a member. It was true journalistic excellence, and hopefully all those involved will be nominated for awards in journalism. Kudos to all involved.

Brad Savall
San Diego

ACS and death penalty

The recently appointed editor in chief (EIC) of the distinguished Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, who is also the interim EIC of ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science and formerly the EIC of ACS Chemical Neuroscience, was one of two medical experts consulted by the US Department of Justice in 2017 regarding the constitutionality of an execution protocol for federal prisoners convicted of capital crimes and sentenced to death. According to publicly available documents, this protocol involves administration of 2 × 2.5 g of pentobarbital sodium in 50 mL of diluent followed by 60 mL of saline flush, after which the “inmate will be examined by a specified qualified person . . . to ensure that death has occurred.”

Under a letterhead that included his position as EIC of ACS Chemical Neuroscience, the EIC advised in a publicly available document, “In my expert opinion, based on deep knowledge of the pharmacology of pentobarbital sodium, the protocol as drafted will produce a humane death with limited suffering and pain.”

According to records at the Death Penalty Information Center, this protocol was used to execute 13 federal prisoners during the final weeks of the Trump administration—6 Black men, 1 Native American man, 1 White woman, and 5 White men.

These are not the pages in which the constitutionality of the death penalty should be debated. However, these are the pages in which it is right to question the association of the American Chemical Society and its journals with this debate. The constitution of our society declares that our purpose is to “be concerned with the worldwide application of chemistry to the needs of humanity.” In my opinion, our constitution is a moral compass, pointing toward a world in which our society and our chemistry must focus on how to improve human life, not how to end it.

David W. Christianson
Philadelphia