CANUCK SOLDIERS SMOKING UP MORE: REPORTS

Drug use among Canadian soldiers and Defence Department employees is
on the rise, especially during the summer, according to newly released
documents. Two military police Criminal Intelligence Program reports
obtained by the Sun show that the drug of choice is pot, with cocaine
following a distant second.

"The trends illustrated in this report give indication that incidents
of illicit drug usage by CF members or other persons on DND property
will continue to rise, including the cultivation of marijuana plants,"
the July 2003 report says.

Peak in July

And the January 2004 report says "illicit drug occurrences continue to
increase at bases/wings across Canada."

But drug offences continue to be significantly lower in the military
than in the civilian world. Drug charges peaked in July of each year,
and in 2003 military police had almost 30 cases involving drug charges.

The Canadian Forces has a zero-tolerance policy toward drug
consumption in its ranks.

The intelligence reports say those soldiers caught with drugs are
sometimes trafficking and secretly growing the weed, especially at CFB
Greenwood in Nova Scotia.

From January 2002 to 2004, military police shut down 18 grow
operations on bases across Canada, statistics show.

Capt. Mark Giles, National Investigation Service spokesman, said the
military's new offence tracking system is to blame for a perceived
spike in drug offences because some files were lost beforehand.

Most Not Involved

"And there has also been in the past year or two an increase in drug
enforcement," Giles said, adding the military is "satisfied that the
vast majority of Canadian Forces and DND personnel are not involved in
drugs."

According to the 2003 criminal intelligence report, most drug charges
are laid against troops at CFB Esquimalt on Vancouver Island, followed
by CFB Edmonton and CFB Borden.

"Although cannabis is statistically the choice drug among users,
there's a growing emergence of methamphetamine in the Prairie
provinces," the 2004 national environmental assessment says.

"Meth is a highly addictive stimulant and is slowly becoming the
choice of drug among illicit drug users in the CF."

The July 2003 report recommends that the military set up special drug
squads for the summer when young recruits are in training, and launch
an education strategy to deter soldiers from doing drugs.