I was talking with a friend about the Lance Armstrong interview, which led to the Congressional hearings over steroids in baseball a few years back, and where Congress got the right to care. I joked that they were trying to ask for recommendations.
But that got me to thinking…well, are our nation’s leaders doping? We hear a lot of stories about their indomitable stamina, for example, Hillary Clinton (whom I am in no way accusing of juicing). It wouldn’t be unprecedented; Hitler (yeah I went there) was on methamphetamines; JFK was on a cocktail of painkillers; Wall Street is infamously the world’s largest cocaine market.
This leads me to my question: are there documented cases of recent politicians undergoing any kind of performance-enhancing drug regimens? The Hitler case is more bizarre than what I’m looking for; JFK had legitimate pain control needs. I’m talking about anybody who’s undergone a designed regimen of drugs solely to keep them awake and alert. Not quite sure if caffeine should count but if there’s somebody who is known for drinking 10 cups a day I would be interested in hearing about it. Doing it for short bursts is fine too, just like scrillions of college students over the past several years have abused Adderall.
International examples or spillovers from other mentally demanding fields are also appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Honorable mentions go to Arnold Schwarzenegger who IIRC already admitted to using steroids in his body building days and Paul Ryan, whose gainz are just too xbox hueg to be natty. I kid, I kid
It is relatively easy to get a diagnosis of ADD to be able to get adderall.
As there are no drug tests for politicians - there is no reason to have some sort of covert regimen.
You might be able to get it for CFS, but ADD is your simplest bet.
Testosterone would also be useful in some cases - especially where borderline low - and I assume blood doping and epo could be useful as well - but I think adderall is the low hanging fruit.
It’s schedule II - so it isn’t handed out as easy as some drugs, but any politician that spends a few minutes reading the DSM could get it after a little effort.
Propranolol is another drug that I suspect some would use - for public speaking. Since it isn’t highly controlled - you’d have an easier time getting docs to prescribe it for its off label - public speaking purpose.
Thanks, DataX, and yes, runner pat, I will add Bob Dole and Viagra to the list of “honorable mentions”.
As far as it being a covert regimen, I suppose it doesn’t have to be, but I think the general public would be a little miffed if someone’s doping program was made public knowledge. Especially if they were drugs that we grill athletes over like EPO.
I’ve heard of classical musicians and other types of performers using beta blockers to keep the effects of anxiety from intererfering with performance. And as mentioned, Aderrall (sorry if that’s not spelled right) is now used as a sort of brain enhancer by people who think it helps them super-achieve. I wouldn’t be surprised if some politicians were using these types of things. Certainly in the second presidential debate, Romney looked like he was hyped up on something, and Obama seemed sedated.
Now here’s mine: Suggested performance-enhancing juice that should be required for all politicians: Truth serum!
BTSC (Blood Truth Serum Content) tests should be required of all lawmakers at regular intervals, or randomly, but especially before all speeches, public appearances, and votes on laws they are voting on.
It depends how you define “leaders”. US military pilots regularly use amphetamines to keep alert during ling missions – all aboveboard, prescribed by physicians. But the physicians prescribe them to whole squadrons of pilots. I have heard similar stories about infantry involved on prolonged engagements with the enemy.
Presumably both these types of uses would include the most senior officers on the missions.
Here’s another article mentioning the same incident of a possible drug-induced friendly fire incident, but a more general overview of military pilot drug use.
I’ve heard that keeping soldiers awake without the side effects of amphetamines and similar stimulants was the actual reason the drug was made. If so, such use would probably be the legitimate one, rather than the use for narcolepsy.
It sure doesn’t deal with the underlying problem of narcolepsy at any level. It doesn’t help the brain get more stage 5 sleep, let alone correct whatever is causing the brain not to get to that stage.
