News

General order prohibits use of salvia, 'spice'

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Don Branum
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Mike Gould issued a general order April 5 prohibiting the use of salvia divinorum and "spice" by Airmen, cadets and cadet candidates assigned to the Academy or any of its tenant units.

Failure to obey the general order may result in disciplinary or administrative action such as written reprimand or admonishment, non-judicial punishment under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice or court-martial.

The general order was issued in response to worries that use of illicit substances -- including substances listed by the Drug Enforcement Agency as "chemicals of concern" -- may be occurring at the Academy, Col. Ronald Williams, the Academy's staff judge advocate, wrote in an e-mail to commanders and first sergeants April 6.

"These chemicals ... are easily obtained and have the ability to cause hallucinations, changes in perception and other serious psychological effects," Colonel Williams wrote. "In high dosages, they can cause unconsciousness, short-term memory loss, irreversible damage to the heart, liver, kidney, lungs and brain, and even death."

Use of such substances "contradicts the nature of the profession of arms, threatens our military readiness and diminishes our ability to conduct the mission entrusted to us," according to a background paper attached to the general order.

Neither the 10th Security Forces Squadron nor the Academy's Air Force Office of Special Investigations detachment has any cases regarding salvia or spice use, said Gillian Parker, who works in 10th SFS' Reports and Analysis office. AFOSI agents regularly brief newcomers and have begun briefing cadets to warn them against using salvia or spice.

Salvia is a psychoactive hallucinogenic plant that can cause intense and dangerous psychedelic experience, including uncontrollable laughter, incoherent speech and hallucinations similar to those from LSD. It is not currently a controlled substance under federal law, and it is legally available in Colorado.

Spice is a product that can include a mixture of herbs and synthetic cannabinoid compounds. The Customs and Border Protection's Chicago Laboratory discovered one such synthetic compound, HU-210, in packets of spice. HU-210 has many of the same effects as THC -- the active ingredient in cannabis that is listed as a controlled substance -- but HU-210 is several times more potent.

The general order also prohibits illicit use of household chemicals and other chemical inhalants, over-the-counter medication and non-prescribed medicine. Frequently abused inhalants include aerosols, gasoline and paint thinner. Many of these substances can kill or injure users through lack of oxygen or cardiac arrest and may also have lasting affects due to toxic buildup in the users' systems.

Non-prescription medications like medicines for colds and coughs, weight loss, pain and sleep aid, pose health risks if not taken according to the directions of the medication. Overdosing in these drugs can result in nausea, vomiting, paranoia, liver and respiratory failure and death.

For more information about salvia, spice or other substances mentioned in this article, contact the Academy's Drug Demand Reduction Program at 333-2827.