News (Media Awareness Project) - New Zealand: Defence Force Drug Testing to Get Tougher |
| Title: | New Zealand: Defence Force Drug Testing to Get Tougher |
| Published On: | 2008-07-30 |
| Source: | Dominion Post, The (New Zealand) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-08-07 01:06:41 |
DEFENCE FORCE DRUG TESTING TO GET TOUGHER
Budding Defence Force recruits will be tested for drugs before they
can sign up, and existing soldiers, sailors and air force staff will
face a stricter testing regime to be introduced by the end of the year.
Under a new policy, half of the country's 12,000 fulltime and part-
time uniformed personnel will be tested each year - any time,
anywhere. Lieutenant Commander Don Wills, head of the new Defence
Force substance abuse prevention programme, said an agency would be
contracted to conduct the tests.
Staff would tested before being sent overseas, after any incident or
accident or if there was good cause to suspect drug use. Samples would
be tested on the spot for traces of cannabis, ecstasy, pseudoephedrine
(used to make P), morphine, heroin, codeine, homebake, cocaine and
benzylpiperazine (BZP).
Mr Wills said would-be recruits who tested positive would be put
"straight back on the bus", but those already in the service would
generally get a second chance.
"With the amount we have invested in training people and the fact we
want to be fair, we will give a warning."
They were liable to be tested up to six times in the following two
years and, if they returned any trace of any drug, they were likely to
be dismissed.
Mr Wills said the new policy replaced differing regimes that had been
in use in the army, navy and air force.
Alcohol was not included in this drug-testing regime. The reason was
that alcohol was not illegal, but the rules were that nobody was
allowed to be intoxicated on duty.
In the past few years, 3.7 per cent of military personnel tested have
been positive. This was below the average 10 per cent to 12 per cent
found in comparable testing in civilian employment.
Mr Wills said the military had to be strict on drugs as "substances
abuse is very much a health and safety issue".
"We have live weapons, for a start, and it's a teamwork issue. If
you've got someone on your team who can't be trusted because they are
hiding something or taking drugs, it puts the whole team at risk."
Budding Defence Force recruits will be tested for drugs before they
can sign up, and existing soldiers, sailors and air force staff will
face a stricter testing regime to be introduced by the end of the year.
Under a new policy, half of the country's 12,000 fulltime and part-
time uniformed personnel will be tested each year - any time,
anywhere. Lieutenant Commander Don Wills, head of the new Defence
Force substance abuse prevention programme, said an agency would be
contracted to conduct the tests.
Staff would tested before being sent overseas, after any incident or
accident or if there was good cause to suspect drug use. Samples would
be tested on the spot for traces of cannabis, ecstasy, pseudoephedrine
(used to make P), morphine, heroin, codeine, homebake, cocaine and
benzylpiperazine (BZP).
Mr Wills said would-be recruits who tested positive would be put
"straight back on the bus", but those already in the service would
generally get a second chance.
"With the amount we have invested in training people and the fact we
want to be fair, we will give a warning."
They were liable to be tested up to six times in the following two
years and, if they returned any trace of any drug, they were likely to
be dismissed.
Mr Wills said the new policy replaced differing regimes that had been
in use in the army, navy and air force.
Alcohol was not included in this drug-testing regime. The reason was
that alcohol was not illegal, but the rules were that nobody was
allowed to be intoxicated on duty.
In the past few years, 3.7 per cent of military personnel tested have
been positive. This was below the average 10 per cent to 12 per cent
found in comparable testing in civilian employment.
Mr Wills said the military had to be strict on drugs as "substances
abuse is very much a health and safety issue".
"We have live weapons, for a start, and it's a teamwork issue. If
you've got someone on your team who can't be trusted because they are
hiding something or taking drugs, it puts the whole team at risk."
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