In an attempt to prevent addicts from returning to the United States, the government issued the operation unofficially named Operation Golden Flow. It consisted of mandatory urine drug tests for soldiers returning home, who were not permitted to return if they failed the test. The panic over drug addiction in Vietnam prompted research at Johns Hopkins, which found natural receptors for drugs such as heroin, codeine, and morphine.
Another key finding on drug addiction that came as a result of Vietnam was the impact of one's environment on addiction. In Vietnam, the harsh battle conditions and lack of normal civilian life proved itself to be a prime environment for heroin addiction.
http://jamesclear.com/heroin-habits
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=106651
http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/21/health/vietnam-heroin-disrupting-addiction/
This is a very interesting post, the data about the soldiers's drug use is very surprising. It's also interesting that 95% of soldiers eliminated their addiction when coming home from war. I wonder what caused this spread of heroin around the army.
ReplyDeleteFascinating! I really liked how you expanded upon the "Digital Censorship" presentation we saw last week- I was meaning to look up the bit about heroin abuse in the Vietnam War. It really says a lot about how many soldiers used heroin during the war, and how that number dropped after the war ended. From a psychological standpoint, these men had been stripped from their loved ones and deprived of happiness when they were shipped off to war, thus prompting their use of heroin for a temporary high. If you're interested, I found a really interesting link about drug abuse in the army today: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/substance-abuse-in-military
ReplyDeleteNice post! It is very interesting that heroin grew to be such a problem during this time. It sheds light on how desperate Americans were in Vietnam, and how ugly the situation was. It also brings up the question of whether other wars brought around drug addictions in soldiers looking for a mental escape. I found this interesting article about drug abuse in the military today. http://www.michaelshouse.com/featured-articles/drug-use-military/
ReplyDeleteWow, this is a very interesting post. I can't believe that heroin that was circulating through 40% of the soldiers, yet it still was publicized as a major scandal. That really speaks to the military/US government's ability and willingness to cover up unfavorable acts that may reflect poorly on their institutions. I also am shocked to hear that 95% of the addicted soldiers got clean when they returned home. This seems like a phenomenal and unlikely feat considering that 90% of addicts typically relapse. What do you think allowed for this many soldiers to make a full recovery?
ReplyDeleteI found your blog very fascinating because just last week we had a consent workshop where we watched a video that pertained to this. In an experiment called "Rat Park" they tested the rats and their choice of either drugged water or normal water depending on their environment. They found that when rats were surrounded with things to do and other rats, they didn't drink the drugged water as much because it could easily kill them through an overdose. The video also talks about the Heroin use in World War 2, and how people were really scared that all the soldiers returning from war would be heroin addicts. But once returning to their families, 95% of the soldiers returned to normal without even going to rehab or experiencing withdrawals. I think the environment they were in is very important to the spread of the heroin problem.
ReplyDeleteVideo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao8L-0nSYzg&ab_channel=Kurzgesagt%E2%80%93InaNutshell