250 SOLDIERS BARRED FROM AFGHANISTAN OVER DRUGS

Some 250 soldiers who tested positive in drug tests, were not allowed
to serve in Afghanistan, the Canadian Forces confirmed Tuesday.

According to documents obtained by CBC News, the military has tested
almost 7,000 soldiers since mandatory drug testing of personnel headed
to Afghanistan began in 2006.

The results were for the period of September 2006 to last May, which
show that most of the soldiers who failed tested positive for
marijuana. The report also said some military personnel were found to
have traces of harder drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine and
amphetamines in their systems.

"When you want to send our soldiers there, you don't want to send kids
who are addicted or who have a drug problem. They have to be clean,"
said Liberal Defence critic Denis Coderre.

As federal sports minister in 2001, Coderre was instrumental in
establishing the Montreal-based World Anti-Doping Agency, which has
long been a proponent of drug testing.

"Drug-free sport . . . It's exactly the same thing as DND, those
people represent us," he said.

But it's also a safety issue, Coderre told CanWest News
Service.

"It's a war mission, there would be an extra problem to take care of
- -- a drug problem on the field."

Canadian Armed Forces Brig.-Gen. Ian Poulter told CBC News: "It's a
particular concern because we are in Afghanistan, they are in a combat
situation and they have to make split-second decisions, life or death, and
we need them to be able to do that without the influence of illicit drugs."

Liberal Senator Colin Kenny agreed.

"It's a reflection of the society we live in. A lot of young people
use drugs. It would surprise me if a lot of people who joined the
Canadian Forces didn't, as well," said Kenny, who told CanWest News
Service he would support the idea of across-the-board drug testing in
the Forces.

"The difference is the occupation. If you are handling weapons you
become a danger to yourself and to your colleagues if you are abusing
substances -- if its alcohol or drugs, it doesn't matter."

Right now, only soldiers pegged for deployment face mandatory drug
testing.