# What drugs have been used by soldiers in warfare past and present **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 16, 2015, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635 "2015-06-16T01:12:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/21 "2015-06-17T01:48:11Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Yeah, that makes sense. Being that those are terrorists, not soldiers. I might doubt the reliability of the Saudi Arabia press. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/22 "2015-06-17T01:56:09Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > **What drugs have been used by soldiers in warfare past and present** What drugs has mankind used past and present? > [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > For the purposes of the thread, I’m talking about drugs used to enhance ones abilities in battle, not drugs to deal with the trauma of war (becoming an alcoholic or heroin addict after the war, etc). > > I’d assume they would use drugs that would do things like enhance the senses (sight, smell), deaden pain, slow the perception of time/improve reaction time, improve strength, improve speed, reduce fear, reduce the need for sleep, increase aggression, etc. You’re making some really, really bad assumptions here. Soldiers have to deal with the trauma of war while it is happening; they don’t just come home from war, get PTSD out of the blue and become alcoholics. The last thing soldiers looking to cope with the stresses of combat will look for out of a drug is something to enhance their senses; they are looking for something to deaden their senses. Heavy drinking on the part of soldiers in battle has a very long historical record. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/23 "2015-06-17T02:11:00Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > What drugs has mankind used past and present? > You’re making some really, really bad assumptions here. Soldiers have to deal with the trauma of war while it is happening; they don’t just come home from war, get PTSD out of the blue and become alcoholics. The last thing soldiers looking to cope with the stresses of combat will look for out of a drug is something to enhance their senses; they are looking for something to deaden their senses. Heavy drinking on the part of soldiers in battle has a very long historical record. The OP posted: > [@OP](#): > > For the purposes of the thread, I’m talking about drugs used to enhance ones abilities in battle, not drugs to deal with the trauma of war (becoming an alcoholic or heroin addict after the war, etc). ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/24 "2015-06-17T03:01:36Z")
[Adrenaline usage](http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jan/13/world/fg-iraqdrugs13) was noted among some of the insurgents that fought in Fallujah. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/25 "2015-06-17T05:35:05Z")
If _Generation Kill_ is to be believed, Ripped Fuel (an “athletic food supplement”) was pretty popular among US soldiers during their latest romp in Iraq. Back before the FDA axed it the main ingredient of Ripped Fuel was ephedrine, which is pretty much meth-lite. As for the Vikings, we don’t know much at all about the (possibly mythical) berserkers. Many theories have been put forward from simple alcohol intoxication, to \*amanita muscaria \*(I personally doubt that one, because a user would barely be in any state to walk, let alone fight, after ingesting that stuff…), to epilepsy, to a form of severe PTSD. We just don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/26 "2015-06-17T05:43:57Z")
Jeez, **Kobal2** , is that you? How was it? Are you re-educated? \< **K2** was exiled for a looong time…\> ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/27 "2015-06-17T07:12:02Z")
A long time? I think it lasted three days! His sentence got commuted but he’s had to promise not to call people names in GD any more. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/28 "2015-06-17T07:49:14Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Jeez, **Kobal2** , is that you? It’s actually my twin brother. People get us mixed-up all the time, man, don’t worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![Yarster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/29 "2015-06-17T20:15:25Z")
And let’s not forget Provigil, otherwise known by the generic name modafinil. This article mentions its use with fighter pilots. I heard stories of its use during the first Gulf War regarding pilots who were on long sorties, but thought it was specifically bomber pilots using it: [http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/how-fighter-pilots-stay-sharp-20131205](http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/how-fighter-pilots-stay-sharp-20131205). My wife works at Kaiser Permanente, where it is used to treat narcolepsy, but she has said anecdotally that they have been putting much tighter controls on its use because it is being abused by students. Supposedly it is non-habit forming, so I guess they could do a lot worse. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/30 "2015-06-17T21:27:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > … a package of sulfa antibiotics for use on injured comrades. … There was a long standing joke about the soldier who went into town every night and upon return brushed his teeth with the sulfa. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/31 "2015-06-18T00:45:32Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > The OP posted: > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally Posted by OP > > For the purposes of the thread, I’m talking about drugs used to enhance ones abilities in battle, not drugs to deal with the trauma of war (becoming an alcoholic or heroin addict after the war, etc). Which, if you’ll notice, I _already_ quoted him as posting in the post of mine you quote. The point still stands; soldiers on their own do not look for drugs to take to enhance their abilities in battle. They do the exact opposite, they look for drugs to deaden or blur their senses to the trauma they are going through, which based on the OPs wording he seems to think only happens after they come home from war. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/32 "2015-06-18T00:53:30Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > soldiers on their own do not look for drugs to take to enhance their abilities in battle. Ah, I apologize for missing your point. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635/33 "2015-06-18T00:53:33Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > Which, if you’ll notice, I _already_ quoted him as posting in the post of mine you quote. The point still stands; soldiers on their own do not look for drugs to take to enhance their abilities in battle. They do the exact opposite, they look for drugs to deaden or blur their senses to the trauma they are going through, which based on the OPs wording he seems to think only happens after they come home from war. No some soldiers use drugs to deaden their senses, but some use drugs that are stimulants (like amphetamines) as well as magic mushrooms. There are lots of traits that should be useful for a soldier. Reduction of fear Reduction of pain Reduction of fear of death Improvement in visual and auditory sensory perception Increase in reaction time Decreased need for sleep Increased energy and stamina Increased aggression The drugs that do this can be on opposite ends of the spectrum. Amphetamines do some of those things while heroin does others. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drugs-have-been-used-by-soldiers-in-warfare-past-and-present/722635.md?page=1)