Servicemen persecuted

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" sample is proof that you are a "drug addict". This assertion has been lapped up by 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.

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.

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.

Gary Meyerhoff
Rapid Creek

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Tue, 27 September 2005
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Author: Gary Meyerhoff (letter to the editor)
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/283