On February 6, 1978, U.S. government disclosures and reporting made clear that the Central Intelligence Agency had experimented with so-called "truth serums" as part of broader Cold War research into interrogation and behavior modification. These activities were linked to earlier covert programs that sought chemical, biological and pharmacological means to obtain information or influence subjects. The term "truth serum" generally refers to certain psychoactive drugs — notably barbiturates and other sedative-hypnotics, and later compounds such as sodium thiopental — believed by some to lower inhibitions and make subjects more talkative. During the 1950s and 1960s, the CIA funded and conducted experiments domestically and overseas to assess whether such substances could reliably produce accurate, actionable intelligence. Much of that work occurred under program names later disclosed in congressional investigations and media reports. By 1978, congressional inquiries and press coverage had forced parts of the agency’s human-subject research into the public record. Officials acknowledged the use of drugs in experiments but emphasized that the effects were unpredictable: subjects might become disinhibited, confused, suggestible or produce inaccurate statements. Medical and ethical concerns about consent, potential harm, and the credibility of information obtained under the influence were highlighted by critics and some government reviewers. Public revelations about these experiments contributed to a wider reassessment of intelligence-community practices. In the 1970s, bipartisan congressional investigations—most notably by the Church Committee in the Senate and related House panels—examined abuses by U.S. intelligence agencies, including covert experimentation on unwitting subjects. Those inquiries led to new restrictions, oversight mechanisms and policy debates about the permissibility and reliability of pharmacological techniques in interrogations. Historically, the CIA’s programs involving drugs were just one facet of a larger set of ethically fraught initiatives that included psychological manipulation, sensory deprivation, and efforts to develop incapacitating agents. Declassified documents and investigative reporting from the period show a mixture of laboratory studies, field tests, and collaborations with academic researchers and contractors. Some experiments used volunteer subjects under constrained conditions; others raised serious questions about informed consent and the treatment of prisoners, mental patients, and unwitting civilians. Legal and policy responses followed the disclosures. In the years after the 1970s hearings and reports, Congress passed statutes and adopted oversight procedures aimed at protecting human subjects and curbing secret programs that lacked adequate authorization. The revelations also spurred changes in how intelligence agencies document and supervise research activities. It is important to note that while officials acknowledged experimentation with these drugs, experts and investigators repeatedly warned that so-called truth serums do not guarantee truthful or reliable testimony. Pharmacological effects can produce confabulation, heightened suggestibility, and memory distortions. Consequently, both scientific assessments and legal standards have long treated information obtained under drug-induced states with skepticism. The 1978 disclosures stand as a documented episode in Cold War history when national-security priorities, scientific exploration, and ethical boundaries collided. Subsequent declassifications, congressional oversight, and historical research have clarified aspects of the programs but also left unresolved questions about the full scope and specifics of individual experiments. Where details remain uncertain or disputed, historians and official records caution against definitive claims beyond what declassified documents and contemporaneous reporting support.