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." - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine