Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!military From: shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (OFV) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Drugs in War Message-ID: <12533@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 22 Dec 89 06:03:33 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Lines: 26 Approved: military@att.att.com From: Mary Shafer (OFV) Carl Noseworthy writes: >Have governments ever condoned the use of drugs by their soldiers? Have >any governments even encouraged it? I could see some sort of physical >advantage if a whole army was on steroids. What other types of drugs >might be used to enhance performance in soldiers? For example, were Japanese >Kamikaze pilots given some sort of drug before their final flights? The Royal Air Force and Royal Navy used mild sleeping pills (Restoril is the US name) to help their aircrew reset their biological clocks during the Falklands War. The flight surgeons did an extensive study which was reported in the Journal of Aerospace Medicine. Anti-motion-sickness drugs (particularly the behind-the-ear patches) are also frequently used. Caffeine is provided through official channels and is frequently abused. :-) -- Mary Shafer shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA Of course I don't speak for NASA