Pubdate: Mon, 22 Dec 2014
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2014 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/wEtbT4yU
Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Author: Alison Auld
Page: A6
Referenced: http://mapinc.org/url/8a85lABV

POT IS DRUG OF CHOICE AMONG SOLDIERS

HALIFAX * Marijuana remains the drug of choice for members of the
Canadian army, based on the Force's latest blind drug testing report
that also found cocaine is gaining popularity among some members.

The report, done between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2013, found the overall
drug consumption rate has been relatively stable since 2010 but
suggested young, non-commissioned members were more prone to do drugs.

The findings, contained in a 42-page report, included testing for 11
controlled substances at 26 Armed Forces units across the country.
There were 4,198 participants from most ranks and age groups.

The testing found that 279 urine specimens - or 6.6% - tested positive
for at least one drug, with pot detected in 5.3% of all of the
samples. That's up from the 4.2% in 2012 and 4.8% the year before that.

Positive test results for marijuana came from 19 units, with the bulk
from 3 Royal Canadian Regiment and 2 Service Battalion in Petawawa,
Ont.

The report says nine units had cocaine-positive samples, with the most
again from members in 3 Royal Canadian Regiment in Petawawa. Results
showed 44 samples overall had traces of cocaine, up from the 29
positive samples the previous year, making it one of the higher rates
since the testing started in 2007.

While the numbers were considered low, members of the psychosocial
health dynamics team who wrote the report said there was a higher
likelihood that members tested positive for cocaine in 2013 than in
2009.

The results found that drug use is significantly more likely to occur
among junior non-commissioned members aged 27 years or younger.

The document offers no reasons for the perceived increase, but
cautions that the most recent samples were more likely than those in
2009, 2011 and 2012 to be rejected because of a flaw. It said eight
units had samples that tested negative for drugs, but were found to be
diluted.

The Canadian Forces has a zero-tolerance policy for illicit drugs and
conducts testing to gather data to guide its Drug Control Program. No
one from the Defence Department was available for an interview on the
report, but a spokeswoman said in an email that "the results are not
used for disciplinary purposes as no urine sample can be attributed to
a specific member."
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MAP posted-by: Matt