Fight Wars with Drugs

Is it ethical to force a person to take medications in order to keep alert? Can a boss require a subordinate to take stimulants such as caffeine so that he gets the work done? Is there a difference between coffee and drugs like amphetamine? Also, in a time of war, can the commander require the troop to take these drugs to stay alert? Where should we draw the line between the uses of these drugs? These are some common ethical debates on the use of drugs.

Since 1937, doctors can prescribe amphetamine for clinical uses. During World War II, the United States Air Force commonly abused this drug during flights. It raised some ethical debates on whether it was right to use amphetamine, and in 1991, the Air Force banned the use of flight medications, including amphetamines. However, I think military should not ban the use of such drugs because the benefits may outweigh the risks.

Requiring soldiers to take stimulants might sound immoral. However, we have to take into account that during a war, the normal rules may not apply. For example, it may be wrong to kill people, but that becomes inevitable in times of war. The same goes with drugs. It may be wrong for the head of a company to require stimulants for the subordinates, but the benefits associated with the drug outweighs the risks during war. There is evidence to show that amphetamine significantly improves the reaction time, hand-eye coordination, physical strengths, and endurance. The use of the drug may determine whether a soldier lives or dies in a battle. Sometimes, this may be the only thing that keeps the pilot awake during his flight.

Of course, these drugs are not omnipotent. In 2002, an American F-16 pilot accidentally bombed the Canadian troops in Afghanistan because his judgment was impaired by the use of dexedrine, which is another kind of stimulant. Accidents like this are often inevitable in wars, but if drugs can raise the awareness of the soldiers, they should be allowed, or perhaps even enforced during a military operation. Even though drugs can improve soldiers' abilities, they should still be regulated by the commanders to avoid abuses and to limit the accidents due to judgment impairments. It is best that soldiers get enough rest so that their performance can be maximized, but if that is not possible, drugs can provide a temporary substitute that can save their lives.

Also consider the possibility that we will one day create enhancement drugs without any side effects. Will there still be oppositions against their use during war? After all, if the ultimate goal of the war is to win (though it might be better not to have wars at all), then the use of enhancement drugs without side effects have a clear benefit because it will help achieve the goal.

Sources

http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj97/spr97/cornum.html

http://sciencefocus.com/feature/health/sleepless-battle