 |
|
| CBC News |
| Go-pills, bombs & friendly fire |
| Amina Ali, June Chua & Martin O’Malley |
| 18 July 2003 |
| |
The pilots, Majors Harry Schmidt and William Umbach, could face a court martial for their actions, which could mean long prison terms for both men if found guilty. The “friendly fire” incident happened on April 18, 2002, when the F-16 dropped a laser-guided 225-kilogram bomb near Kandahar, accidentally killing four Canadian soldiers and injuring eight others.
By the 1930s, high-performance athletes were choosing amphetamine over strychnine as their performance-enhancing drug of choice. Amphetamine improves concentration and endurance but it also increases the risk of heat stroke because the drug causes blood to flow away from the skin. This proved fatal for some athletes.
The drug was used widely during the Second World War to keep soldiers awake and alert. American, British, German and Japanese soldiers were issued amphetamine to combat fatigue and heighten endurance
1950s-present
By the 1950s, tablets of methamphetamine (Methedrine) and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) were legally manufactured and became available to the public. Truck drivers, athletes and businessmen used them. Students popped them as “pep pills” to cram for exams. Amphetamines were used as weight-control pills.
By the 1960s in the U.S., underground meth labs popped up in California. San Diego was where the drug was manufactured for pilots heading to fight the war in the Pacific. Addicts were using injectable methamphetamine all over the U.S. One of the first noticeable doping cases involving amphetamine occurred at the 1952 Winter Olympics. Several speed skaters (giving new meaning to the expression) became ill and required medical attention.
At the 1960 Olympics, Danish cyclist Kurt Jensen collapsed and died of a heart attack from an amphetamine overdose. The International Olympic Committee took action in 1967 after the death of British cyclist Tommy Simpson from amphetamine in the Tour de France. In 1968, amphetamine appeared on the IOC’s new list of banned substances.
Crystal methamphetamine – ice, crystal, quartz – started showing up in the late-1960s, when the term “Speed kills” was coined. It is clear, almost transparent in appearance. That compares to common methamphetamine, which is a white to dark brown powder or chunk with different consistencies. Crystal meth is usually smoked and produces a high that can last 24 hours.
The long-term effects of methamphetamine include chronic insomnia, paranoia, hallucinations, halted personality development, malnutrition and anti-social tendencies. Withdrawal symptoms include restlessness, mental confusion and depression. |
| |
| Source: CBC News |
| acftv is not responsible for the content
of external internet sites |
| |
| Please report any broken links
here |
| |
| <
Back |
|
|
