DRUG TESTS COST REGIMENT 30 SOLDIERS

THE Green Howards has lost the equivalent of a platoon of soldiers in 16
months after random tests revealed that they had been taking drugs.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that there had been 30 expulsions from
the regiment but said it did not mean that drug abuse was rife within the
regiment. [PARA]The men were at barracks in Osnabrick, Germany.
Drug-testing within the Army was started in 1995 and involves checks for
cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, LSD, heroin and angel dust. Last year the
Army disciplined 544 soldiers for drug misuse.

At the regiment's headquarters in Richmond, North Yorkshire, Colonel Neil
MacIntosh, the regimental secretary, said: "No class-A drugs were involved
and none of the people found to be positive was of a senior rank.

"Losing 30 soldiers is like losing a platoon. Those who are left have to
take on extra responsibilities. This isn't a problem peculiar to the Green
Howards, nor is it peculiar to the Army as a whole. It's a problem for the
whole of society and it is far more prevalent in civilian life. Drugs could
affect a soldier's judgment at a crucial moment. There can be no leniency
with anyone who abuses drugs."

The regiment was formed in 1688 to support William III and Queen Mary, and
first saw action in 1690 at the Battle of the Boyne. It fought in the
American War of Independence and the Crimean War, where two of its soldiers
were among the first to win Victoria Crosses. During the First World War,
12 of its soldiers won the VC and more than 7,500 were killed.

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)