SOLDIERS AT 'HIGH RISK' OF DRUG USE, REPORT SHOWS

OTTAWA -- Canadian soldiers patrolling in Afghanistan are at a "very high"
risk of using local drugs thanks to rock bottom prices, says a military
criminal intelligence report. A July 2003 Military Police criminal
intelligence program interim report obtained by Sun Media under the Access
to Information Act warns that deploying soldiers to a leading drug
producing country like Afghanistan on Operation Athena could produce
"nightmares."

According to the report the Canadian Forces national investigation service
" .. rate the risk of CF members involvement in illicit drug activities
while deployed to OP Athena as high to very high."

Afghanistan is the world's largest hash exporter and recently became the
world's top supplier of opium.

The report points out that about 2,200 tons of opium is cultivated annually
in Afghanistan and represents 73% of the world's total production.

The intelligence report raises a red flag on a legal Afghan chewing tobacco
called nasuar which is made of hashish.

Cpt. Mark Giles, spokesman for the military's national investigation
service, says he can't comment on whether there are ongoing investigations
of soldiers using drugs in Afghanistan.