But Where Am I Going to Find Drugs in the Golden Triangle?

In a story near and dear to my heart, Sylvester Stallone was busted in Australia with 48 vials of human growth hormone and 4 vials of testosterone. He requires these pharmaceuticals to prepare for an upcoming portrayal of one John J. Rambo. And he was headed to Myanmar--a place where the freedom to self-medicate is among the very few freedoms left.

When the Jintropin was found in his bag, Stallone told customs officers it was a medication for which he had a prescription, adding: "I will not be without these. I cannot be without these".

And the actor tried to deceive the customs officers into believing a false prescription, produced later, was genuine.

When interviewing officers asked Stallone why he took Jintropin, he said: "As you get older, the pituitary gland slows and you feel older, your bones narrow.

"This stuff gives your body a boost and you feel and look good. Doing Rambo is hard work and I am going to be in Burma for a while. Where do you think I am going to get this stuff in Burma?"

Good question! Maybe the 30th Street Pharmacy? City Mart Supermarket? Any hole of a place with a big green cross out front?

I have limited information about the availability of human growth hormone in the jungles of upper Burma. But given the near-ubiquity of amateur bodybuilding contests in Yangon, the presence of HGH in Myanmar's biggest city would not be a surprise. If it is available, Stallone will be permitted to partake without a doctor's permission slip. 

Read reason on the freedom to self-medicate here and here. Radley Balko enjoys Argentina's open medicine cabinet here.

Hat tip: Kriston Capps.

Comments

[Brett]

What a creepy picture. Sly must be one of the most articial looking people alive. He'll never get into the baseball hall of fame now.

[The Wine Commonsewer]

Mexico has an open medicine cabinet as well. Nice to be able to buy a bottle of Amoxicillin for 13 bucks US. That's 48 500mg capsules. Took all of five minutes to get it. Didn't need it until last week but having it on hand saved a two hour trip to the doctor, the $40.00 copay, an hour sitting around waiting for somebody with a pharmacist degree to count out 16 pills and label the bottle, and the travel time.

[Deus]

Plot of John Rambo. Taken from Wikipedia, so take it with a grain of salt:

A group of Christian human rights missionaries, led by Michael Burnett and Sarah Miller, approach Rambo with the desire to rent his boat to travel up the river to Burma. For over fifty years, Burma has been a war zone. The Karen people of the region, who consist of peasants and farmers, have endured brutally oppressive rule from the murderous Burmese military and have been struggling for survival every single day. This is the time when medical assistance and general support from the Christian missionaries is needed most. After some consideration, and due to insistence from his mentor, former military man Ed Baumgartner, Rambo accepts the offer and takes Michael, Sarah, and the rest of the missionaries up the river. When the missionaries finally arrive at the Karen village, they are ambushed by the sadistic Major Pa Tee Tint and a slew of Burmese army men. A portion of the villagers and missionaries are tortured and viciously murdered, while Tint and his men hold the remainder captive.

Stallone has some guts going to Burma if that's actually the plot of the movie. Guess he's depending on the Burmese authorities not being regular readers of Variety.

[The Trial Of]

I'd much rather see a new Billy Jack movie than yet another Rambo. Who's with me?

[Grotius]

"...what you choose to call hell, he calls home." - Col. Trautman

[The Wine Commonsewer]

Billy Jack Rules and there ain't a damn thing you can do about it.

[n4k33n]

Its really too bad that they have such tight controls on steroids. Like other drugs, propaganda and the media have grossly misinformed us. Even among the "intellectual drug crowd", whom a represent (bluelight.ru), there is a forceful ignorance concerning them.

The fact is, they can be used safely in mild, and even in heavy cases if used in combination with other medications to prevent abnormal side effects. The lack of education is what makes these medications dangerous.

Australian society seems to hold harm reduction in much higher regard than the institutionalized rape of drug users civil rights that goes on here.

I know I'm preaching to the choir guys, but I figured I'd say it anyway. I read this blog religiously, but rarely post. I'm the moderator of "drugs in the media" at bluelight.ru, a drug users forum with an emphasis on harm reduction. All of you are welcome to stop by anytime. =D

[n4k33n]

^ To add: The ignorance about steroids in my community stems from the same stigma. Nobody bothers to research it. Probably because its not recreational.

[D.A. Ridgely]

Does this mean Stallone may be banned from competitive acting?

[jaybird]

That story makes it sound like they just started shooting the film, but there's already a trailer up on youtube. It's way more violent than anything in the previous movies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE8Zukeb6bQ

[Warren]

He's actually going to Burma? Fucking Burma? Burma is the most reprehensible regimes on the planet. I can't believe shooting on location in that hell-hole makes for a favorable cost/benefit.

Fascinating stuff about the availability of drugs. Mad props to Kerry Howley for wading into that cesspit for... Uh why did she go there? Anyway, way to take one for the team.

[joe]

"Does this mean Stallone may be banned from competitive acting?"

Dude wasn't exactly closing in on Hank Aaron, if you catch my meaning.

[VM]

D.A.R., joe!

ohnoes!

But... but... but... the Last Action Hero said how cool Sly is.

And... Oscar is one of his best movies!

*wails! runs off

[Daze]

We desperately need Congressional hearings on the issue of steroids & HGH in the movie industry.

And after that, pro wrestling.

Won't someone think of the children?

[Randolph Carter]

any kind of investigation into WWE would be the end of that organization. Also the gay bar bartender industry.

[Daze]

Seems like a no-brainer for Rambo to battle Muslim terrorists in this one. Instead, the villains are Buddhists.

Not that the Burmese generals aren't vile, but this strikes me as a huge copout.

[Jaybird]

Seems like a no-brainer for Rambo to battle Muslim terrorists in this one. Instead, the villains are Buddhists.

Remember how he went to Afghanistan and helped the Mujahadin kill Russians in Rambo III? Funny how they never play that one on TV these days.

[dhex]

stallone's remake of get carter is actually amazingly good.

it's no lock up or over the top, mind you, but still.

[D.A. Ridgely]

Actually, I like Stallone and sympathize with him here. If the guy needs one last action hero fling, I say more power to him.

[Sir Kevin Orr]

I was lucky.

I took a job as captain upon The Greasy Bastard, a small ship carrying rubber goods and things for the weekend between London and Rangoon.

[joel]

if he wins the Oscar, will it have an * engraved on it?

[Stevo Darkly]

Sly is looking a little bit like Leona Helmsley.

[Thomas Ware]

We're the only culture in the world where you can drive down a suburban byway or walk a city street and see signs in four foot letters DRUGS. Which lends thought to KOOL-AID.

On the rare occasion I encounter a 'nuter suggesting one has "drank the kool-aid" they have literally sweated desperation in its allusion to to Jonestown and feeble-minded illiterates blissfully following a charismatic leader to oblivion [hmmm... hold that thought]. Funny how my living of history had us drinking LSD laced kool-aid in the sixties. You know, stoned out of our gourds. Sure wouldn't want anyone to think you are are stoned out of your gourds, afterall, we're the only culture in the world where you can drive down a suburban byway or walk a city street and see signs in four foot letters DRUGS. And they gotta' know, on some level - Ambein, Prosaic, Vigra - that they are.