CANUCK BASES ARE LOADED

MORE SOLDIERS TURNING TO POT, REPORTS SUGGEST

DRUG USE among Canadian soldiers and defence department employees is on the
rise, according to newly released documents. Two military police Criminal
Intelligence Program reports obtained by Sun Media show marijuana is the
drug of choice, with cocaine 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.

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

But drug offences are significantly lower in the military than in the
civilian world, the reports indicate. 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 towards drug consumption in
its ranks.

GROW OPERATIONS

The intelligence reports say soldiers caught with pot are sometimes
trafficking and secretly growing it, 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.

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

"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 were
laid against troops at CFB Esquimalt on Vancouver Island, followed by CFB
Edmonton and CFB Borden.

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

"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."

TROOP TROUBLE

Criminal trends at Canadian Forces bases according to military police
reports:

- - 8 Wing Trenton: There has been a significant increase in domestic
violence, jumping from seven cases in 2002 to 48 last year.

- - Western Area Training Centre Wainwright: Alcohol-related incidents
involving soldiers are the most common offences, often including assaults.

- - 17 Wing Winnipeg: At this air base, marijuana and cocaine are the drugs of
choice.

- - Shilo: A report says drug use is expected to increase with the arrival of
2 PPCLI this year.

- - CFB Borden: Drug-related offences have increased in 2003, mostly among new
recruits awaiting training.

- - CFB Petawawa: In 2003 there was a "significant" increase in the number of
family violence offences reported. Spousal assault doubled from the 2002
level of 16 cases. There has also been an increase in drug-related offences,
with possession of marijuana charges doubling from 2002.

- - CFB Kingston: The base and the Royal Military College are faced with
numerous drug-related offences, and have seen complaints about the use of
the date rape drug.

- - Ottawa: A strong majority of the 1,832 investigations from Oct. 2002 to
January 2004 were security related.

- - CFB Gagetown: A five-month police operation led to 22 charges of
trafficking and using marijuana, ecstasy, dilaudid and crack against seven
Forces members.