OTTAWA--"The military's fraudulent acquisition and illegal use of mefloquine is to fall under the scrutiny of the Auditor General," said John Cummins, M.P. (Delta-South Richmond).

The Auditor General has initiated a review of files at the Department of Defence and the Health Protection Branch.

"The Canadian Forces have now acknowledged misleading the Somalia Inquiry on mefloquine. The Health Protection Branch covered up the problem. This is the first real opportunity to get to the truth. I am confident that the Auditor General will not fall prey to the web of lies and coverup that have shielded those who failed to do their jobs."

A Summary Investigation into the suicide death of Scott Smith in Rwanda found mefloquine to be a contributing factor. Canadian Forces in Somalia had widespread problems with the drug. There was one suicide attempt in theatre and one psychiatric repatriation. Both Canadian and British Forces have found that the combination of mefloquine and alcohol can often lead to bizarre aggressive behaviour.

The Canadian Forces administered mefloquine to soldiers deployed to Somalia in 1992-1993 and to Rwanda in 1994-1995. The Forces acquired the drug for Somalia under the authority of an ongoing clinical trial, the Lariam Safety Monitoring Study, but had decided prior to purchase that the drug was to be used outside the legal requirements of the Food and Drug Act's clinical trial.

Common side-effects of mefloquine include vivid and often violent dreams, hallucinations, psychotic manifestations, irritability, anxiety, agitation, depression, confusion, and panic attacks. On occasion the drug causes disabling neuropsychiatric side-effects, such as severe panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, and bizarre aggressive behaviour. Long term side-effects are only now being documented.