MILITARY DRUG TEST WATERED DOWN ... LITERALLY

Soldiers training to go to Afghanistan who provided diluted urine
samples in drug tests last fall were given a second chance to pee in a
cup because the military had water bottles on hand during the
screening procedure.

Thirty-eight of the 1,436 troops initially tested gave diluted
samples, according to documents obtained under the Access to
Information Act. Another 72 soldiers tested positive in September for
illicit drugs, including marijuana, cocaine and codeine.

"While the initial intent had been to treat the diluted results (in
accordance with) the same (administrative review) process as positive
results, it has been determined that bottles of water were provided to
members waiting for their testing, thus contributing to the number of
diluted samples," Cmdr. Tony Crewe, the military's director of careers
administration, said in an Oct. 20 e-mail to a Defence Department
policy adviser.

"To ensure that members who might otherwise have tested negative are
not unduly restricted from deploying, it has been decided that these
members will be retested. The probability of an illicit drug user
testing negative on the second test and thus avoiding the
(administrative review) process is seen as low compared to the
probability of denying deployment to non-users who had diluted results."

Too much drinking water isn't the only reason people provide diluted
urine samples.

"A diluted result may indicate that an individual has ingested masking
agents in an attempt to hide evidence of illicit drug use," say
military documents.

"In most cases, these members will be retested."

The bulk of the soldiers heading to Afghanistan next month were tested
Sept. 25 and 26 at New Brunswick's CFB Gagetown.

Retesting those who gave diluted urine samples was scheduled for Oct.
18, more than three weeks later. If a person stopped using drugs, that
would be enough time to flush any traces of marijuana, cocaine or
codeine from their urine, said Harold Kalant, professor emeritus at
the University of Toronto's pharmacology department.

"The drugs would be out by then - long out," he said
Tuesday.

If soldiers who had used drugs suspected they would be tested a second
time, they might have been more cautious about using them again until
they were safely over the second test, said Mr. Kalant, an
international authority on alcohol and drug dependence.

Five admitted to using drugs after their first test results showed
their urine was diluted, said Cmdr. Denise Laviolette, chief of public
affairs at military personnel.

Four soldiers failed the second test and three provided diluted urine
samples again, Cmdr. Laviolette said Tuesday.

Those 12 soldiers will not be heading to Afghanistan.

But the remaining 26 soldiers who gave diluted samples in September
passed the second drug test in October.

"Conceivably, then, they were not dirty in the first place or, if they
were, they were concerned enough to stay off the drugs until the tests
were repeated," Mr. Kalant said.

The delay between the first and second tests was due to the large
number of people going through the process, Cmdr. Laviolette said. The
military also wanted to surprise soldiers with the second test, she
said.

"Is it possible that somebody who was taking illicit drugs ended up
being deployed? I can't say no, because it is possible," Cmdr.
Laviolette said. "But we do everything we can to prevent that from
happening."

Soldiers could face "surprise testing" once they reach Afghanistan,
she said.

"There's nothing that says they can't do it in theatre. It would be a
little bit of an administrative or logistics nightmare but the
commanding officer . has the authority to test folks."

Military documents show the head of the army had wanted soldiers who
failed drug tests or provided diluted samples "released quickly to
send a message to all that usage of illicit drugs will not be tolerated."

But military administrators advised him not to rush the process. "We
have a long-standing practice of attempting to rehabilitate first-time
users of soft drugs," Cmdr. Crewe wrote in his Oct. 20 e-mail.

The troops who were tested last fall are slated to be part of Canada's
task force in Afghanistan next month. About 1,160 are based in
Atlantic Canada.

Of those who flunked the drug tests last fall, documents show 79 per
cent tested positive for marijuana, 11 per cent had cocaine in their
systems, five per cent tested positive for codeine, and five per cent
had both marijuana and cocaine in their urine.

Of about 2,500 soldiers training to go to Afghanistan for the next six
months, a total of 88 tested positive for illicit drug use.

Unless they had a legitimate prescription for codeine, those soldiers,
as well as the five who admitted to taking drugs, won't be making the
trip to Afghanistan because they are undergoing an administrative review.

Disciplinary action can range from counselling and probation to
release from the Forces.