I recently came across this article - http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/DailyNews/2020_pilotpills021220.html about amphertemines that are standard issue to combat pilots to help them stay awake during long-hours missions. Is this practice a common knowledge? Isn't it risky to have pilots high on drugs engaging in combats?
I can't get to the article. depending on the drug its probably only dangerous to the pilots themselves(which is not insignificant). most amphetamines don't really distort perception.
Sorry, the url wasn't complete. I'll post the link here again: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/DailyNews/2020_pilotpills021220.html
The two American pilots who were charged with murder when they accidently killed four Canadian soldiers in Afganistan in a friendly fire incident, were on government issued speed. Their lawyers tried to use that fact in their courtmartial defense to no avail.
hmm...I should have thought about this more carefully before responding. amphetamines do not alter perception in themselves, however, being artificially kept awake beyond ones normal limits certainly can alter perception...if these pilots were well rested but on amphetamines then there judgement wouldn't have been impaired. but if they'd been awake for 2 days on them it would.
1119 The link works OK now. It confirms the brief description in my reply above. The pilots are using a drug untested and unapproved by the FDA. The ground troops in Iraq are most probably using it now to deal with lack of sleep. The US government does not consider the hazards of using anything on military personel, they are expendable.
They DO, however, cause paranoia. Paranoia could very well alter your perception (in an emotional, if not visual manner). If they were experiencing a heightened sense of anxiety or paranoia that state COULD cause them to fire on an "enemy" prematurely if they thought they were under attack.
This is really old, I saw this on the news months ago, it was awesome. Those pilots sounded pretty messed up, especially the guy that fired the missile.
In Vietnam if someone on perimeter smoked a doobie, snorted some H or coke, or ate any type of pill and was found out, he got the shit kicked out of him.
