Hundreds of British soldiers busted for taking drugs including cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy in one year
Squaddies have been sacked or are facing disciplinary action after huge rise in substance abuse
NEARLY 1,000 members of the Armed Forces were busted for drug abuse last year – a rise of almost a third on the previous 12 months.
The figures equate to three people testing positive for cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis and banned steroids every day.
Hundreds have already been sacked under the MoD’s zero-tolerance drugs policy – while others are awaiting disciplinary hearings
The biggest rise was in the RAF, which saw the number of drug-takes double from 40 in 2015 to 80 last year.
In the Army, 730 soldiers tested positive, more than an entire infantry regiment, compared with 570 in 2015.
The Royal Navy saw a 60 per cent increase in the number of sailors caught using drugs – from 30 to 50.
The overall 30 per cent rise in drug-taking in the forces is revealed in official figures obtained under freedom of information laws.
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Separate stats show that at least 50 service personnel were tested positive for taking banned steroids.
Among the worst units for offences in the Army was the Foot Guards, the Queen’s favourite regiment, who take part in ceremonial events throughout the year.
Over the two-year period, 80 members of the famous outfit which guards Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, tested positive for drugs.
The Royal Regiment of Scotland had 90 failures, while the Royal Engineers, which consists of several units, had 110.
The armed forces has a zero tolerance policy toward drug abuse and the vast majority of personnel caught taking drugs will face immediate discharge.
One source said: “There’s no place for drugs in the armed forces. Military personnel have to be able to trust each other with their lives and you can’t do that if someone is off their head on drugs.”
In 2015, up to 380 soldiers tested positive for cocaine while a further 60 were caught taking Ecstasy , and 130 squaddies were caught after they had been smoking cannabis.
In the same year almost 540 soldiers alone were discharged.
Commanding Officers can at their discretion choose not to sack a soldier if there are strong mitigating circumstances.
Ministry of Defence Spokesperson said: “We conduct compulsory drug tests because substance misuse is incompatible with service life. Only around 0.3 per cent of the armed forces fail them and anyone who falls short of our high standards can expect to be disciplined.”
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