Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697632215050.pdf (Australia)
SUBMISSION TO A SENATE INQUIRY INTO THE USE OF THE QUINOLINE ANTI-MALARIAL DRUGS MEFLOQUINE AND TAFENOQUINE IN THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE I enlisted into the Australian Regular Army on 06/01/2000 and was allocated to the Infantry Corps.

After recruit training and initial employment training I was posted to the 4th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (Commando) in Holsworthy NSW.
Upon posting I engaged in a period of skills consolidation and work regarding the Sydney Olympics before commencing pre-deployment training with A Coy.

Part of this training was to Shoalwater Bay QLD in circa early 2001.

In this location our company was introduced to the anti-malarial drug Mefloquine and the details of the proposed drug trial were explained to us.

We were told that we could expect to experience strange dreams similar to the known effects of the existing prophylactic Doxycycline.
We were told that no other side effects were expected.

The Commanding Officer J.J. Sengelman [sic] then spoke and made clear twice that should we not participate in this trial we would not be permitted to deploy on operations to East Timor.

Not knowing any better at the time and certainly being underwhelmed in the established power structure and based upon the medics reassurances I participated.
The risk of forfeiting an operation and the associated financial penalty (in the order of tens of thousands of dollars) was also a motivating factor.

The NHMRC’s Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research states inter alia: “No person should be subject to coercion or pressure in deciding whether to participate.

Even where there is no overt coercion or pressure, consent might reflect deference to the researcher’s perceived position of power, or to someone else’s wishes.
Here as always, a person should be included as a participant only if his or her consent is voluntary” A direct threat to ones career and implied threat of financial penalty for non participation self evidently fails this standard.
The statement also states: “Research is ethically acceptable only when its potential benefits justify any risks involved in the research.” Given the existing body of knowledge that predated this trial, a carte blanche recruitment of participants with exactly zero consideration of individual risk factors again fails this standard.

Two weeks prior to embarkation we commenced what was termed a loading dose of a tablet a day to be decreased to a tablet a week upon deployment.
During this loading period I was unable to sleep for more than an hour at a time and experienced vivid and terrifying hallucinations.

My capacity to correctly see colour was also affected.

The effects were so severe that the decision was made to relieve me of the obligation to continue in the trial and I was moved back to Doxycycline for deployment.
Use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence ForceSubmission 74 During the deployment I had several other waking hallucinations.

I reported these to a Psychologist in a mid deployment debrief and stated that I assumed it was to do with the doxycycline.

The Psychologist thought it unusual as Doxycycline generally results in vivid dfreams as opposed to hallucinations.
I was referred to the RMO in Balibo and from there was briefly repatriated to Darwin to see a Psychiatrist who diagnosed me as tired.

I do not recall ever receiving a post deployment psych debrief until some years later, after I had discharged completely and re-enlisted.

I have since this time become notably less risk averse and have consistently engaged in self sabotaging behaviours.

I often have irrational responses to everyday inconveniences and have had difficulty controlling my emotions.
Several partners have noted how terrifying and over escalated my road rage is for example.

It is a minor miracle of luck that I haven’t wound up beaten up or arrested.

One of these irrational outbursts of anger ended with my being sectioned at 1HSB Holsworthy after a dispute with a landlord led to my threatening self harm.
Though I exhibited some signs of minor depression prior to the trial (as pointed out to me by the AMI when I requested my trial documentation – accompanying an information leaflet stating that such drugs should never be prescribed to a person with a history of depression) however since I have been diagnosed and treated for major depression with some indicators to bipolar 2.
The former diagnosis led directly to my being medically discharged from my second enlistment – causing immense financial and familial stress.

I also experience some memory loss.

I appreciate there are other former members of the ADF who have been more negatively affected than I have however personally this drug has been a nightmare.

I thank the Senate for its consideration.

Use of the Quinoline anti-malarial drugs Mefloquine and Tafenoquine in the Australian Defence ForceSubmission 74