Pubdate: Tue, 20 Nov 2012
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Copyright: 2012 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/letters.html
Website: http://www.montrealgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274
Author: Murray Brewster

MILITARY CONSIDERED DRAMATIC INCREASE IN DRUG TESTING

OTTAWA - National Defence quietly examined the idea of designating 
more positions within the military as "safety sensitive" in order to 
catch and punish soldiers for illegal drug use.

Internal documents show over a four-year period, commanders in charge 
of troops in Canada's central and western regions lobbied separately 
to draw up expanded lists of jobs that would be subject to the 
enhanced screening.

A spokeswoman for National Defence says the director of military 
career administration has not made any changes, and the 
drug-screening program has not been expanded but is subject to 
continuing review.

Concern about possible drug use among troops extended to the top, 
where the chief of defence staff, nowretired Gen. Walt Natynczyk, 
"stated that he is receptive to requests to designate other positions 
or occupations as safety sensitive," said a Nov. 14, 2011, briefing 
note, obtained under the Access to Information Act.

The Forces considered expanding the number of jobs subject to 
enhanced drug screening in 2007, but was halted because it couldn't 
justify the invasion of privacy.

The military administer blind drug testing on a regular basis, but 
the system results in no disciplinary action if the results come back positive.

More enhanced screening is given to troops in a variety of secure 
positions, and those who deploy overseas.

But according to the briefing note, prepared for the commander of the 
army, the blind test "does not have the same deterrent effect."

A proposal from land forces central area, which apparently surfaced 
in May 2011, said a series of blind tests administered to troops not 
deployed to Afghanistan showed "a somewhat higher incidence of 
illicit drug use" and those results "were not seen as acceptable" by 
commanders.

"In their view, one way to respond to these results is to have 
permanent positions within formations in which (persons) handle 
weapons, drive, operate complex machinery and combat vehicles and 
perform high-risk activities be designated as safety sensitive," said 
the briefing.

The sweeping nature of the proposal required a detailed explanation 
and justification for each job, the note said. The absence of that 
sort of rationale doomed to failure an earlier attempt to expand 
enhanced testing.

According to the last report of the Canadian Forces provost marshal, 
charges of drug use have declined, but possession and trafficking 
charges by military police increased, in 2010 when compared with previous years.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom