This document presents information on the use of incapacitating agents in the military.
Used in a military context, incapacitation means the inability to perform one's military mission. Further, it means the inability to perform any military task effectively and implies that the condition was achieved via the deliberate use of a nonlethal weapon. Few references to the historical use of drugs for military purposes appear in contemporary publications. Virtually every imaginable chemical technique for producing military incapacitation has been tried at some time. Physical disturbances, such as loud noises, microwaves, and high-intensity light, and substances capable of causing intense sensory stimulation are among the nonchemical methods explored to impair performance. A variety of chemical and biological agents can cause severe malaise and other systemic symptoms; however, none of these agents are acceptable for use as incapacitating agents because of their unacceptable safety margins. Stimulants, depressants, psychedelics, and deliriants, known as psychochemical agents, can interfere with higher functions of the brain and are, therefore, of greatest relevance to the goal of producing military incapacitation. Of all known psychochemical options, anticholinergics appear to be the most feasible for military use. 3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate (BZ) or a related potent glycolate seem to be the most likely candidates among the many that have been studied. Following an absorbed dose of less than 1 mg, BZ produces an acute brain syndrome, best described as delirium, that lasts 2 to 3 days. Reversal of the effects of BZ by physostigmine and other anticholinesterase agents has been clearly demonstrated to be both effective and safe when properly used in otherwise healthy individuals. 56 references