Britain buys sleep prevention pill instead of military weapons

I�m sorry but this article cracks me up there are a lot of people here angry at the shrinking British budget and instead of buying better weapon systems for the British military the Defense department like to buy 24.000+ pills for its armed services

Britain's Ministry of Defence bought large quantities of a specialised drug which helps people stay awake for long periods ahead of the Iraq war, a report said on Thursday.

The ministry had since 1998 bought around 24,000 Provigil pills, a drug licensed in Britain only to remedy rare sleeping disorders, the Guardian newspaper reported.

According to figures from the Defence Medical Supplies Agency, which provides medicines to Britain's military forces, 4,000 of these tablets were delivered in 2002, shortly before troops entered Iraq.

Pills for the troops

Nothing real surprising there. Allied troops and german troops during WW2 were issued amphetamine tablets regularly. how else do you expect men to stay awake for days on end all the while marching hundreds of miles to fight.

What? marching who the hell marches hundreds of miles last i heard they had drives with tanks and support vehicles not marching for hundreds of miles.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
What? marching who the hell marches hundreds of miles last i heard they had drives with tanks and support vehicles not marching for hundreds of miles.

well they need to stay awake driving the tanks and support vehicles dont they?

Greetings,

This isn't as uncommon as you would believe, the US F18? or F16 that bombed the Canadian Troops in Afganstan had been up for over 24 hours and using the US version of those Tablets. ::Shrugs:: I would prefer a suitable and effective Weapon over some pill popping.

- Phil

It's a known fact that the US army was (maybe still) giving out amphetamines to grunts trough out most of last century.


Again this is only news 'coz it got out.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
I�m sorry but this article cracks me up there are a lot of people here angry at the shrinking British budget

- "A lot"!? "Angry"?! Where? You seeing things again Westy? LOL

and instead of buying better weapon systems for the British military the Defense department like to buy 24.000+ pills for its armed services

- if you knew anything about the latest UK military spending review it has specifically been about buying certain new and better weapons systems at the cost of trimming back some of the armys' man-power and some of the older RAF units.

Unlike some we try not to maintain armed forces for the sake of them. We don't prefer to see threats any and everywhere.....

..... and we certainly don't see the need to hurl vast amounts of our taxes on dumb systems in the hope that oneday somehow something useful might come of it even if the basic premise is nuts right now.

How is your missile shield coming along?

(then maybe you can go on one of the politics sections here and complain about the public sector, public spending and people on an easy life, huh!? What delicious irony? LMAO)

Britain's Ministry of Defence bought large quantities of a specialised drug which helps people stay awake for long periods ahead of the Iraq war, a report said on Thursday.

The ministry had since 1998 bought around 24,000 Provigil pills, a drug licensed in Britain only to remedy rare sleeping disorders, the Guardian newspaper reported.

According to figures from the Defence Medical Supplies Agency, which provides medicines to Britain's military forces, 4,000 of these tablets were delivered in 2002, shortly before troops entered Iraq.

Pills for the troops



- Yeah, and , so , what? As said all armed forces use these pills or a variation of them.

If any of this really was your idea of something that 'cracks you up' I really suggest you get out more matey

where am I seeing this anger check out some threads in the Weaponry forum and Aircraft projects and you will see the anger and don't call me westy again ok.

Plus the Us is trying to make super soldiers instead of giving them pills so who knows.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
where am I seeing this anger check out some threads in the Weaponry forum and Aircraft projects and you will see the anger

- oh, ok if you say so. I go to the aircraft section a fair bit as you my know but I just don't see much anger, sorry.

and don't call me westy again ok.

- why? What's up with 'westy'? Don't you shorten names of folks you know in 'real life'?

Plus the Us is trying to make super soldiers instead of giving them pills so who knows.

- Hmmm, again, if you say so but I think you'll find that every army there has ever been thinks its doing that.

Tony Bloody Bliar.

We need MORE weapons, BETTER weapons and MORE troops.

Fact is we can no longer wage war or even have enough troops to effectivly protect ourselves if a major rumble was to kick off.

Blair is a traitor and should be SHOT on SIGHT.

Originally posted by rustiswordz
Tony Bloody Bliar.

We need MORE weapons, BETTER weapons and MORE troops.

- so you want to pay ever more taxes to maintain this 'just in case' standing waiting military? Tough luck, no-one else does. The nation's priorities are thankfully a tad less wasteful and ridiculous.

The nation, your people....remember them? Your fellow country-folk....the nation you claim (no doubt) to love so dearly? You seem resentfully angry and more than a tad out of step.

Even if funds were so freely available the nation's priority is not more arms.

Fact is we can no longer wage war

- No, that is called your opinion it is not a fact at all.

or even have enough troops to effectivly protect ourselves if a major rumble was to kick off.

- well funnily a board of enquiry (comprising of military people and invited specialists and experts) have just concluded a review of the UK military requirement likely in the foreseeable future. They don't agree. Not even close.

So, what makes you such an expert compared to them?

Blair is a traitor and should be SHOT on SIGHT.

- very funny, is that really your level of political insight? He's secured two landslide general election wins and is months away from a third.

Elected in a legal, free and fair election by the people of the UK......and if you're so right, put your money where your mouth is, where are you going to be standing for election then?

Suck it up.



[edit on 29-7-2004 by sminkeypinkey]

this isn't a big deal. amphetamines are standard issue in both the US and UK forces, especially the air force. very few air missions are taken without them. i'd be more worried the UK decided not to order the provigil. (incidently, i've been prescribed provigil and it's about the same as a strong cup of coffee.)

-koji K.