USAFE bans 'Spice' drug; violators face steep penalties

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USAFE bans 'Spice' drug; violators face steep penalties
By Mark Abramson, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Friday, January 16, 2009

Getting high on substances or drugs that are legal in some European countries and the States can now cost U.S. Air Forces Europe airmen their ranks, their careers, or more.

USAFE commander Gen. Roger Brady issued an order earlier this month banning the use of salvia divinorum, a drug called Spice and some inhalants. A similar ban was issued in the RAF Lakenheath-based 48th Fighter Wing in September, and other Air Force installations, including Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., have like prohibitions.

"I am concerned with reports of military personnel abusing salvia divinorum, inhalants and a mixture of herbs with psychoactive effects commonly known as Spice," Brady said in an Air Force release.

Officials at Yokota Air Base in Japan have also recognized the dangers of those drugs by issuing a warning about Spice and over-the-counter medications.

Salvia divinorum, also known as Sally D and Magic Mint, is an herb native to parts of Mexico. It is chewed or smoked, and its hallucinogenic effects can last up to 30 minutes. Spice is an herb comparable to marijuana.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60050