Should "truth serum" be considered torture and banned under international law?

[Lunar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_serum

[Bacon King]

Yep.

[Scam of God]

Aye. It is a violation of an individual's self-sovereignty.

[J. J.]

No, in some cases if might be legitimately used.

[dead0man]

If they worked properly and under certain circumstances (the old "this guy knows where the bomb/little girl/Waldo is and we need to get the information NOW")?  No, it wouldn't be "torture" and should be legal.  As they work now (and taking account that they don't work anywhere close to 100%), yes.  I'm not sure how it's "torture", but if it doesn't work all that well, it probably shouldn't be used.  A ban seems unnecessary either way.

[Meeker]

All the remaining supplies should be given to me.

[Lunar]

If they worked properly and under certain circumstances (the old "this guy knows where the bomb/little girl/Waldo is and we need to get the information NOW")?  No, it wouldn't be "torture" and should be legal.  As they work now (and taking account that they don't work anywhere close to 100%), yes.  I'm not sure how it's "torture", but if it doesn't work all that well, it probably shouldn't be used.  A ban seems unnecessary either way.

In many cases it's simply alcohol and the scary label of "we're giving you a truth serum"

...

[dead0man]

Right, and that shouldn't be banned.

[Lunar]

Right, and that shouldn't be banned.

Really?  Because that's basically the premise behind all of the truth serums listed in the topic article.

There's no such thing as a true truth serum, but rather intoxicants similar to alcohol that loosen people up and confuse them while you tell them that it's a truth serum.

[Lief 🗽]

No, though I would hope that the government isn't wasting time with it.

[dead0man]

Right, and that shouldn't be banned.

Really?  Because that's basically the premise behind all of the truth serums listed in the topic article.

There's no such thing as a true truth serum, but rather intoxicants similar to alcohol that loosen people up and confuse them while you tell them that it's a truth serum.

Who cares if you give someone alcohol and tell him it's magic sauce?  How is that torture?

[Lunar]

Right, and that shouldn't be banned.

Really?  Because that's basically the premise behind all of the truth serums listed in the topic article.

There's no such thing as a true truth serum, but rather intoxicants similar to alcohol that loosen people up and confuse them while you tell them that it's a truth serum.

Who cares if you give someone alcohol and tell him it's magic sauce?  How is that torture?

Well, you're forcing psychoactive chemicals into them, which many would contend.

Forcibly giving someone ethanol and telling them it's magic sauce is currently illegal.  I mean, there are other substances too, but as Wikipedia says, most of them simply make the person more talkative and confused.

[tik 🪀✨]

No, but it's silly and unrealiable to boot and shouldn't be bothered with anyway.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Absolutely.

[Matt Damon™]

Yes.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

No, though using it is idiotic.

[Lunar]

The Indian Army with their last Mumbai attacker disagree with that sentiment

[opebo]

Yes, obviously any drugging of prisoners other than to treat medical problems is torture.

[dead0man]

Yes, obviously any drugging of prisoners other than to treat medical problems is torture.

What if they offer it to the prisoners?  Being a POW seems as good of time as any to start a coke habit.

[JohnFKennedy]

Right, and that shouldn't be banned.

Really?  Because that's basically the premise behind all of the truth serums listed in the topic article.

There's no such thing as a true truth serum, but rather intoxicants similar to alcohol that loosen people up and confuse them while you tell them that it's a truth serum.

Who cares if you give someone alcohol and tell him it's magic sauce?  How is that torture?

I'd say it is pretty bad if that person is a Muslim and abstains from alcohol for religious reasons.

[dead0man]

Does the Muslim God blame them for things forced upon them or that they have to do to survive?  The other two Abrahamic religions don't work that way.

[JohnFKennedy]

It's not so much that their God would 'blame' them (I don't know the status on that) but that it is forcing something upon them which contravenes their religious beliefs. It would be akin to force feeding bacon to a Kosher-observing Jew.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18:

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

[Lunar]

Guess we can't detain anyone then? 

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Intentionally awful interpretation by me.  But the UDHR is a bit more complicated in areas of on-site military prisoners.  That's why we have the Geneva Convention.

[Matt Damon™]

Yes, obviously any drugging of prisoners other than to treat medical problems is torture.

What if they offer it to the prisoners?  Being a POW seems as good of time as any to start a coke habit.

Why should my tax dollars go to turning POWs into coke-fiends?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

For the most part, no.