Activity 4

Branches of the military are concerned with the sleep patterns and fatigue of their fighter pilots as they take on long missions and lack adequate amounts of sleep. In an effort to combat this, the little amphetamine pill Dexedrine is seemingly a common solution, given in doses of 5-10 mg. It’s a bit alarming at first as it comes off as pilots relying on drugs to enable them to do their job. However, it’s much deeper than that. I don’t think the continued use of amphetamines is bad, within reason. “The current program is strictly regulated—and wholly voluntary for pilots who opt in” (Bonne, 2003). That’s a good sign, and it does seem that Dexedrine increases the alertness of sleep deprived pilots. Pilots have a very physically and mentally demanding job, and if a 5 milligram pill will enable them to safely accomplish it, I see no immediate problem. 

I think the problem lies in the distribution and possible side effects. While yes I believe that the military is ethically distributing pills, I feel that if a pilot makes a mistake while on or off the “go pill”, then he suffers. If he’s not taking the pill, sleep deprivation will be to blame and the fact that he should have taken the pill. If he’s on the pill and makes a mistake, then at this point in time it’s very easy to simply blame the pill due to a lack of solid research as in the case of the bombing and killing of four Canadian soldiers. In this line of work, pilots face life or death situations regularly, so I think it’s good to have the pill there so the pilots can use their discretion. Personally I think it was best said with “If you can’t trust them with the medication, then you can’t trust them with a $50 million airplane to try and go kill someone” (2003). There is always the possibility of addiction, and the introduction of a “no-go pill” seems problematic as well. Not only this, but the negative side effects associated with the "go pill" such as anxiety and paranoia are consequences that need to be further addressed. However, at the end of the day I think the point that needs to be focused on is the safety of the pilots and ability to complete their mission. 

While no I don’t love the idea of the distribution of an amphetamine and then a sedative, and the consequences are many, if it has shown to be effective then I can overlook the problems associated with it. In order to reduce some of the consequences such as addiction, I think strict regulation needs to continue. Additionally, I know it is often hard to eliminate the pressure to take the pill by commanders, but if pressure can be reduced then that could help with pilots unwillingly taking a drug they either don’t feel they need or want to avoid.

This is all relevant to class material as we discuss amphetamines and their effects, both positive and negative. All drugs are so dependent on particular people, therefore it is difficult to assume that the “go pill” will have the same positive effects across the board and at any given time. Amount of sleep deprivation is just one thing to take into consideration when determining if taking Dexedrine is beneficial.

References 

Bonne, J. (2003, January 9). ‘Go pills’: A war on drugs? - US news - Only - January 2003: BRIDGING THE GULF | NBC News. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3071789/ns/us_news-only/t/go-pills-war-drugs/#.VNOyZS6qlhZ