WTF ?!
That stuck out for me as well. They give them sedatives???? Well, isn’t that special.
Not certain, but I think the sedative is also to protect the guards
and others who need to physically control the condemned on his
way to the death chamber.
States often give the condemned the date rape drug Ativan. It's to make things go easier for the government hirelings. Union rules don't allow for disruptions that might cut into their TV break time.