Global Health and Foreign Policy Blog

This is a rather light treatment of the subject in Time Magazine, covering the seemingly increasing numbers of US Army soldiers who are prescribed antidepressants to “calm nerves strained by repeated and lengthy tours in Iraq and Afghanistan,” fight PTSD and keep needed soldiers on the front lines. There is a long history of the use of drugs during warfare, from antidepressants in current wars, to amphetamines in Somalia (Khat), Vietnam and WWII, to alcohol from time immemorial. I heard chilling first-hand stories of Serb soldiers drunk on schlivovitz from Bosnian refugees after the war. I’m surprised Time didn’t dig a little deeper and describe the current use of amphetamines or “go pills,” antidepressants and sleep aids “no go pills” to improve Air Force pilot performance during long missions. And not just the US Air Force, most countries “drug their pilots, to keep ‘em alert.” A touchy political subject? Sure. An old issue that might deserve a well-researched and reasoned debate in a news magazine? I guess that’s pushing it.