Hundreds of UK soldiers discharged for drug abuse

Hundreds of soldiers in the UK armed forces are discharged each year due to abusing drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, ketamine and anabolic steroids.

The latest data released by the government showed that 489 members of the armed forces were dismissed because of drug abuse between January and September of 2017. The number discharged in 2016 was 741, compared with 662 dismissed in 2016 and 569 in 2015.

Labour MP Dan Jarvis, who was an army major with the Parachute Regiment before his election to serve Barnsley Central, said that he was concerned about the issue and supported the dismissal of drug abusers from the armed forces. “It must be made clear that, regardless of the burdens placed on young people today, the illegal use of drugs is an unacceptable and ineffective solution,” he said.

Jarvis added that even though the rate of dismissal for drug abuse remained high, setting a requirement of no tolerance for abusing drugs was appropriate and that is was important for the armed forces to both remove offenders while developing a better understanding of the causes of increasing drug abuse in the armed forces.

Army officials always inform new recruits about the dangers of abusing drugs and how it can impact their ability to perform their assignments. Armed forces personnel are subject to random drug tests during their years of service and are discharged in disgrace if they test positive for drug use.

An armed forces spokesperson noted that the incidence of drug abuse in the armed forces was lower than in the private sector.