Slashdot Mirror
Army Reviews Controversial Drug After Afghan Massacre
Hugh Pickens writes "Time Magazine reports that after the massacre in which Staff Sgt. Robert Bales allegedly killed 17 civilians in Afghanistan, the Pentagon has ordered an urgent review of the use of the anti-malarial drug mefloquine, also known as Lariam, known to have severe psychiatric side effects including psychotic behavior, paranoia and hallucinations. 'One obvious question to consider is whether he was on mefloquine (Lariam), an anti-malarial medication,' writes Elspeth Cameron Ritchie in Time. 'This medication has been increasingly associated with neuropsychiatric side effects, including depression, psychosis, and suicidal ideation.' The drug has been implicated in numerous suicides and homicides, including deaths in the U.S. military. For years the military used the weekly pill to help prevent malaria among deployed troops, however in 2009 the U.S. Army nearly dropped use of mefloquine entirely because of the dangers, using it only in limited circumstances, including sometimes in Afghanistan. Army and Pentagon officials would not say whether Bales took the drug, citing privacy rules. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Jonathan Woodson has ordered a new, urgent review to make sure that troops were not getting the drug inappropriately. 'Some deployed service members may be prescribed mefloquine (PDF) for malaria prophylaxis without appropriate documentation in their medical records and without proper screening for contraindications,' the order says. It notes that this review must include troops at 'deployed locations.'"
No one is saying he isn't responsible for his actions. They're going to review the use of the drug as a whole, and it's about time. Everyone I know who's gone (I'm a defense contractor, and many of my coworkers have gone to AFG) have had bad reactions to the drug and stopped taking it. Typical stories include violent horrible dreams every night until they stop taking it. Do you think they SHOULDN'T review the use of the drug, given its known side effects?
Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
You're a fucking idiot.
Actually, my wife has just said to me that paracetamol has more documented cases of causing psychosis as a side effect than Lariam...
The interesting things is that this story was on NPR the other day, except, they reported that it was incorrect to imply that the massacre triggered the review... the review was in the works before the massacre.
So to still be characterising it as such, several days after its come out that this association isn't true definitely is tabloid journalism.
"I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
It would be irresponsible to 'just leave'.
Unless you have a coherent plan on how to fix it, it is even more irresponsible to stay - you waste money and lives without anything to go for it.