AdvertisementKenneth Smith could be the first person executed with nitrogen gas. He spoke with NPRUpdated January 17, 2024Chiara EisnerfacebookEmailThe Alabama Department of Corrections plans to execute Kenneth Smith on Jan. 25 using nitrogen gas. It will be the first time the gas has been used as an execution method in the U.S. (Mark Harris for NPR)This article was originally published on January 17, 2024.