Navy to Face Increased Drug Testing

Navy sailors will face increased random drug tests as a result of recent changes to the Navy’s drug prevention program. The number of sailors who have tested positive for illicit drugs has decreased since 2001, but the new testing program is an effort to drive the number of positive results even lower.

The changes removed the requirement for an annual unannounced drug test for every member of a command, but they mandate a minimum of four tests per month that must include at least 15 percent of a command’s members. There is also a new requirement for commands with more than 500 members to have a permanently assigned drug and alcohol program adviser.

"These changes give us a more robust program," said Bill Flannery, director of the Navy Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention program. "There’s a correlation between an increase in testing and a decrease in positive results. The goal isn’t to catch drug users, the goal is to deter sailors from doing drugs."

"For every dollar spent on prevention, our return on investment is $205," said Flannery, who estimates the replacement cost for a sailor lost to drug use averages $150,000.

In 2001, 6,279 of 934,000 samples tested positive; last year only 2,120 samples tested positive out of 1.19 million tested, according to the Navy’s Alcohol and Drug Management Information Tracking System. Flannery thinks the number will decrease even more.

"We’re predicting we’ll be below 2,000 positives in the next year, in pursuit of zero," he said. "If we do this correctly, we can get closer to under 500 in the next four or five years."

"The Navy is taking an extremely aggressive approach with regard to substance abuse issues," said Col. Ronald Shippee, director for the DOD’s drug testing and program policy.

A successful program, Flannery said, requires a constant awareness of trends, and monitoring potential abuse of over-the-counter medications, anabolic steroids, or even common household products that can be used as recreational drugs.

When sailors test positive for drug use, they are usually separated from the service. However, individuals can mount a legal challenge to test results, a move that can lead to possible criminal prosecution if found guilty in the military court system.

Though positive drug test numbers for the Navy are low, Flannery said there is no end point for drug prevention. Even if the goal of zero drug use is attained, the process has to continue with a high degree of vigilance. "The moment we say we’ve won, we’ve lost," Flannery said.
 

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