If You Wake at Midnight: The Lariam wonder drug scandal

By Andrew Marriott

“It would have been a great candidate for inclusion on the recent list of Books on Medical Treatments Gone Wrong.” Professor David Healy, MD, FRCPsych.

The greatest scandal inflicted on British service personnel in modern times. It was supposed to be a wonder drug that would save the world from malaria. But soon after Lariam was brought to international markets in the late-1980s, users experienced shocking side-effects. Yet, as the drug became implicated in acts of violence, homicide and suicide, the Ministry of Defence continued to force Lariam on thousands of unsuspecting people deployed to some of the world’s most dangerous places. Enduring years of Lariam-induced nightmares, former soldier Andrew Marriott realised something was horribly wrong; with both the drug itself and those responsible for its use and safety. This exposé of an entirely preventable disaster turns a spotlight on the murky world of clandestine military and industrial research in the United States in which Lariam was developed. It goes to the highest echelons of government and the armed forces. Betrayal and dishonour imperilled those defending our country to the most insidious and silent form of friendly fire.