Pubdate: Fri, 24 Nov 2006
Source: Chronicle Herald (CN NS)
Copyright: 2006 The Halifax Herald Limited
Contact:  http://thechronicleherald.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/180
Author: Kristen Lipscombe, Staff Reporter

GAGETOWN DRUG USE 'A LOT LESS' THAN FIRST REPORTED

One out of 20 military personnel at CFB Gagetown have either tested 
positive for illegal drugs or admitted to using them, Defence 
Department data released Thursday shows.

Cmdr. Denise Laviolette, department spokeswoman, said that's "a lot 
less" than reported last month by Maritime media outlets.

In fact, Fredericton's Daily Gleaner ran a story stating between 16 
and 18 per cent of soldiers tested at the base were caught with drugs 
ranging from marijuana to heroin in their system. Some reports were 
as high as 25 per cent, she said.

"There were numerous articles that indicated very high numbers (and) 
that there was a problem," she said Thursday from Ottawa. "At the 
time, we couldn't provide specific information because we still had 
to await some of the testing."

But results released Thursday show that "95 per cent tested 
negative," Cmdr. Laviolette said, adding testing is still ongoing so 
totals have yet to be tallied.

So far, testing has turned up more than 70 soldiers with illicit 
drugs in their system, or five per cent out of almost 1,400 personnel 
tested between September and mid-November.

"Everybody that's going to Afghanistan is undergoing what we call 
safety-sensitive drug testing," Cmdr. Laviolette said. About 2,200 
soldiers were scheduled to head overseas in February.

However, Cmdr. Laviolette said 75 military personnel won't be making 
the journey to Afghanistan because they will be undergoing an 
administrative review. In total, 72 Canadian Forces members are being 
reviewed for drug use and three others are being reviewed for breach 
of regulations, she said.

"The members who tested positive have all been removed from the 
rotation pending the results of the administrative review," Cmdr. 
Laviolette said. Disciplinary action could range from counselling and 
probation to release from the Canadian Forces, she said.The only 
exception that would allow a soldier back into the rotation heading 
to Afghanistan is if he or she has a valid medical reason for testing 
positive or turning over a diluted sample.

"If you happen to have a legitimate prescription for, let's say, 
Tylenol with codeine, you would test positive," she explained. "In 
those circumstances, obviously you've done nothing wrong and there 
wouldn't be a reason to continue with the administrative review."

Dan Middlemiss, director of the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies at 
Dalhousie University in Halifax, said many people in the military 
were skeptical of the high percentage of drug use initially reported 
in the New Brunswick media.

"It was based on an unattributed rumour," he said. "It just shows you 
why the good media are cautious in reporting these things as only 
rumours and not fact."

Cmdr. Laviolette said drug use in the Canadian military appears to be 
either lower or equal to the general public across the country.

"We are a reflection of society."
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