Dave Bona, a veteran who was in Somalia and Rwanda in the 1990s, says the government should take responsibility for the effects mefloquine may have had on soldiers.
He said he still suffers from side effects of the drug from his time in the Canadian military.
Bona was a member of the Canadian Airborne Regiment and served in Somalia and Rwanda.
During that time, he was one of the soldiers who took the drug and says he felt its effects almost immediately. Bona’s first time taking mefloquine was in 1992, prior to his deployment to Somalia.
“This drug is not suitable for military operations,” he said.
Bona compared the side effects of mefloquine to post-traumatic stress disorder.
He said he doesn’t want young soldiers exposed to the drug, which he called “the cheapest and least-safe drug.” Bona is adamant the drug should not even be offered.