Positive drug tests in armed forces fall

These figures released in a written answer show falls in the number of armed services personnel failing tests for illegal drugs.

Dr. Murrison:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many compulsory drug tests for each substance were failed in each of the armed services since 2001. [320772]

Mr. Kevan Jones [holding answer 5 March 2010]: The misuse of drugs is incompatible with the demands of service life and can pose a significant threat to operational effectiveness.

The following table provides information on the numbers of compulsory drug tests and positive results by drug type.

10 Mar 2010 : Column 340W

Naval service compulsory drug testing results for the period 1 January 2001-31 December 2009
			Drug types( 2)
	Number of tests conducted	Number of positive results	Cocaine	Ecstasy	Cannabis	Others( 1)
2001	12,889	50	7	15	27	1
2002	12,900	42	8	6	26	2
2003	13,803	56	22	12	20	2
2004	12,262	48	20	7	16	5
2005	12,705	47	26	8	11	2
2006	13,552	57	35	9	11	2
2007	10,762	39	22	2	12	3
2008	12,935	67	50	1	13	3
2009	11,563	32	15	1	20	2

Army compulsory drug testing results for the period 1 January 2001-31 December 2009
			Drug types( 2)
	Number of tests conducted	Number of positive results	Cocaine	Ecstasy	Cannabis	Others( 3)
2001	97,282	637	76	201	297	30
2002	89,003	514	106	128	239	41
2003	93,129	518	136	103	244	35
2004	92,297	634	206	126	275	27
2005	94,140	796	364	122	281	29
2006	105,008	770	423	95	221	31
2007	75,842	678	419	72	160	27
2008	89,839	651	427	32	171	21
2009	102,949	451	237	6	203	38

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Royal Air Force compulsory drug testing results for the period 1 January 2001-31 December 2009
			Drug types( 2)
	Number of tests conducted	Number of positive results	Cocaine	Ecstasy	Cannabis	Others( 4)
2001	13,401	18	3	4	11	0
2002	11,096	10	1	2	7	0
2003	13,570	20	0	4	16	0
2004	11,832	24	10	1	13	0
2005	12,808	21	6	6	8	1
2006	12,884	18	9	3	4	2
2007	12,119	15	11	0	3	1
2008	12,303	27	10	1	13	3
2009	12,399	12	5	0	7	0
(1) Other drugs detected-Ketamine, Steroids, Benzodiazepines and Opiates. (2) Where a sample tests positive for more than one drug, the more prevalent drug is counted. (3) Other drugs detected-Heroine, Ketamine, Steroids, Benzodiazepines. (4) Other drugs detected-Benzodiazepines, Amphetamine.

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