Meth the drug of choice for NT ADF personnel caught using

Thousands of Territory-based Defence personnel underwent drug testing in the past three years, with one drug the most popular.

TEN Territory-based Defence personnel have been sacked in the last three years after testing positive for illicit drugs, with the use of methamphetamine the most common.

Data obtained via freedom-of-information revealed 17 NT-based ADF personnel — all but three of whom were within the Army — had tested positive for drugs between July 2019 and March 9, 2022.

Of those who tested positive, four were retained within the defence force, while 10 received an “involuntary separation” and two received a “medical separation”.

One person, who tested positive for steroids on September 13 last year, is still waiting on a decision on their future with the ADF.

Of those retained, one was a member of the navy who tested positive for cannabis use on March 5, 2021, while an army member two tested positive for opiotes (codeine) use on November 8, 2019 also kept their job.

Two RAAF personnel — one who tested positive for cannabis in October 2019 and another received a positive result for opiotes (codeine) use in May 2021 — also stayed within the ADF.

Two army members tested positive for multiple substances — cocaine and methamphetamine both times.

But the number of Territory-based personnel testing positive to drugs equated to less than half a per cent of all tests conducted.

There were 3317 drug tests administered to defence force personnel in the NT between July 1, 2019 and March 9, 2022.

The majority of tests — almost 70 per cent — were administered to army personnel, with 12 per cent from the navy and almost 19 per cent from the air force.

About 30 per cent of the 5444 people employed by Defence in the NT were tested each financial year.

By comparison, an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report from 2019 revealed 16.4 per cent of the Australian population had used an illicit drug in the last 12 months.

The ADF famously has a zero-tolerance approach to drug use and has previously said that testing of personnel can occur “anywhere and at any time” and the decision on whether to give those who come back positive the sack is determined on a “case-by-case basis”.

Defence was contacted for comment.

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Originally published as Meth the drug of choice for NT ADF personnel caught using