Substance Misuse on Rise in U.S. Military July 19, 2001
News Summary
Misuse of alcohol and other drugs is on the rise in the U.S. military, the Washington Post reported July 17."It's coming back up on the scope again," said Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude, the Army's personnel chief.
Despite two decades with a zero-tolerance policy and random drug testing, the military is seeing a growing number of cases involving use of ecstasy and other designer drugs. Unlike cocaine and marijuana, the designer drugs are more difficult to detect through urinalysis.
In the Army's 16th Military Police Brigade, based at Fort Bragg, N.C., 11 soldiers face charges for using ecstasy, LSD, or marijuana. Two were court-martialed for distribution of drugs.
At the Air Force Academy and other facilities around Colorado Springs, Colo., the Air Force is experiencing an increase in cases related to ecstasy, LSD, and marijuana.
According to an Air Force memo, courts-martial on drug charges in that arm of the service rose 21 percent last year.
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