This made children and Ishmael have a difficult time taking them. Drugs were used in order to go to war. The fact of Ishmael taking drugs made him an addict. Young kids didn’t know what they were given. In the book, Ishmael says “ A young soldier came by…some kind of tablets. They looked like capsules...plain white.” Ishmael didn’t know what he took until later on. “The...drugs give us fierce.” This shows that Ishmael took drugs even if he wasn’t in war. Another way they also used drugs to relief nightmares and pain. He suffered from nightmares before the war and pain while in war. He didn’t care the state he was in. This quote says “I shot a couple of rounds sitting...the bandage on my foot and everyone else. I smoked marijuana, ate, and snorted cocaine...” This says that Ishmael state of mind change by taking drugs. Furthermore, Ishmael had trouble sleeping. “ I immediately woke up from my dream and began shooting...The corporal and lieutenant came...sweating...they threw water on my face and gave me...white capsules.” This quote