Dextroamphetamine - The Law
The Law
Abuse of any amphetamine can have serious legal consequences. Amphetamines are controlled substances, meaning their use is regulated by certain federal laws. Under the terms of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970, amphetamines are classified as Schedule II drugs. Schedule II drugs are prescription medications that have genuine medical uses but also pose a high risk for abuse and addiction. Schedule II drugs like dextroamphetamines require a doctor's prescription and carry a warning that states they "should be prescribed or dispensed sparingly." Pharmacies and hospitals that dispense Schedule II drugs must register with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In addition, limits are placed on the amount of dextroamphetamine produced by manufacturers for the United States each year.
Since the passage of the CSA, according to Andrew Weil and Winifred Rosen in From Chocolate to Morphine, "most cases of amphetamine abuse have involved legally manufactured and prescribed drugs." Most of the illicit dextroamphetamine supply, then, comes from actual prescriptions that are obtained, used, and sold illegally.
"Go-Pills" and the Military
Dextroamphetamines have a long history of use by the military and were even given to astronauts to fight motion sickness and fatigue during space flights. The drug's routine use by air force pilots has given new meaning to the term "copilot," one of several street names for dextroamphetamine.
The U.S. Air Force has used Dexedrine, known in military circles as "go-pills," since 1960. A 1995 report from Langley Air Force Base revealed widespread amphetamine use in Operation Desert Storm. Gene Collier, writing in the Post-Gazette, reported that 60 percent of U.S. pilots in the Gulf War said they took Dexedrine during their missions. In a study performed by the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory in 2000, one pilot was able to stay awake for sixty-four hours straight by taking Dexedrine.
Dextroamphetamine reportedly improves alertness and flight performance by fighting fatigue, confusion, and air sickness in the cockpit. It has been shown to increase accuracy, improve short-term memory, and speed up reaction time. But Dexedrine, like all amphetamines, is a habit-forming drug with potentially serious side effects. A tragic incident occurred in 2002 involving two American pilots who were taking the drug. This incident called the use of Dexedrine by the military into serious question.
Deadly Consequences
The two pilots, Major Harry Schmidt and Major William Umbach, were flying separate F-16s back from a mission in Afghanistan. On the night of April 17, 2002, twelve Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan were hit by a quarter-ton bomb dropped by Major Schmidt from his F-16. Four of the soldiers were killed, the other eight were wounded. The Canadians had been conducting a live-fire exercise with anti-tank guns that night—an exercise that U.S. Air Force officials apparently had been told about earlier. According to the Canadian inquiry report on the case, as reported by CBC News, "Until the moment the bombs struck, Canadian forces had no knowledge of impending danger."
Both U.S. pilots stated that they believed they were under attack when they saw the flashes of gunfire on the ground below. Schmidt wanted
to return fire, but, according to the Post-Gazette, was told by Umbach, "Let's just make sure that it's not friendlies, that's all." By "friendlies," Umbach was referring to soldiers fighting on the same side as the Americans. Cockpit voice recordings indicate that Major Schmidt was instructed to hold his fire, but he remained convinced that he was under attack and responded, "I am rolling in in self-defense."
The American pilot who dropped the 500-pound bomb had taken a 20-milligram dose of Dexedrine about an hour before the incident. Some observers felt that the drug "may have been a factor in the decision to drop a bomb on allied soldiers," noted CBC News. American Air Force officials argued that hundreds of earlier patrols had been flown safely and successfully over Afghanistan by pilots on Dexedrine.
The outcome of the so-called "friendly fire" case was decided on July 6, 2004. According to CBC News, the text of the U.S. Air Force verdict stated that Schmidt exhibited "arrogance and a lack of flight discipline" for not taking "a series of evasive actions and remain[ing] at a safe distance to await further instructions." Instead, he "closed on the target and blatantly disobeyed the direction to 'hold fire."' Schmidt's actions were deemed "inexcusable," and he was found guilty of dereliction of duty—abandoning duty or showing negligence—for his actions.
The use of Dexedrine by the military remains a hot topic of debate.
Anyone convicted of transporting or dealing in dextroamphetamine in the United States faces up to twenty years in prison and a hefty fine for a first offense. Repeat offenders face even stiffer penalties. In the United Kingdom, amphetamines are designated a class B drug under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act. Possession carries a penalty of imprisonment for three months to five years, and dealing carries a sentence of six months to fourteen years, along with a possible fine.
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