Military gets Tough on Drugs

Dear Sir,

It's not all smooth sailing for Prime Minister John Howard and his $6 million "Tough on Drugs" campaign.

Recent allegations that his own air crew used illicit drugs demonstrate just how silly his 'war on drugs' is. Until recently, military personnel with drug and alcohol problems had the option of attending the tri-service rehabilitation centre at the Richmond RAAF base. Now, defence force policy is to demand that the 'offenders' give reasons why they shouldn't be kicked out.

The purge at Robertson Barracks over the past few years and in South Australia more recently, clearly demonstrates that it is defence policy to destroy the lives and careers of young Australians if they provide just one 'dirty urine sample'. It seems that according to defence, one 'dirty urine' is proof that you are a 'drug addict'.

This assertion has been lapped up by the corporate media, who continue to refer to these military 'offenders' as 'addicts' when in fact they have only tested positive to illicit drugs on one occasion – on tests that are known to provide false positives. A significant proportion of the ejected personnel - including Johnny's aircrew - actually tested positive to amphetamines or cannabis.

Neither of these drugs is capable of bringing on any physical dependence, so why have the media pushed the 'drug addict' line? To sell a few more papers perhaps? To take our focus off the war in Iraq? Whatever the agenda, this new zero-tolerance approach to 'illicit drugs' in the military is deplorable. It is ironic that the very people the Prime Minister sends to fight illegal wars are now being persecuted at home for choosing to take illegal drugs. Many of these people have returned from wars overseas and it is inevitable that they will suffer some form of post traumatic stress
disorder.

It's no great leap to suggest that this may manifest itself in problematic drug and alcohol use. Rather than provide them with all of the support and assistance they require – our government turns on them. It's Vietnam all over again, only this time the stakes are much higher. The PM's war on drugs has now become a war on our own troops.

Yours truly,

Gary Meyerhoff
Network Against Prohibition
Rapid Creek

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org/donate.html
Pubdate: Friday, 30 September 2005
Source: Territory Times (Australia)
Author: Gary Meyerhoff (letter to the editor)
Email: territorytimes@iprimus.com.au
Copyright: 2005 Territory Times