Opiates, cocaine drugs of choice for Victorian defence personnel

Thousands of Australian Defence Force personnel were subject to drug testing in Victoria over the past two years. See the results here.

Codeine and cocaine are the drugs of choice for Victorian defence personnel, exclusive new data reveals.

Data obtained by Leader through Freedom of Information laws reveals the Australian Defence Force tested 5468 Victorian personnel for prohibited substances in the last two years, with 24 positive results returned.

Army, Air Force and Navy personnel were all subject to testing, though most prohibited substances were detected in the Army.

While three soldiers tested positive for cannabis use in the 2020-21 financial year, two results uncovered cocaine use and another two people were found to have opiates (Codeine) in their systems.

Other Army personnel tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamines and steroids, the results show.

But in 2021-22, the drug use trends were slightly different.

Four soldiers tested positive for cocaine and two for steroids, while one person each returned positive results for MDMA, MDA, opiates and cannabis.

Meanwhile, one member of the Navy returned a positive result for cannabis in 2020-21.

A further two sailors tested positive for opiates in 2021-22 while a member of the Air Force’s result indicated opiate use.

The six positive results for opiates across all sections highlights the widespread issue of pharmaceutical drug misuse.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the misuse of opiates — used to treat pain and some respiratory illness — was higher in Australia than the global average in 2019 and the majority of pharmaceutical misuse in Australia was codeine.

The fates of those who returned positive drug tests were mixed — eight ADF personnel lost their jobs, referred to as “involuntary separation”, while a further eight personnel were “retained”.

There was one “medical separation” and the outcomes for five people are still pending.

Some personnel may have tested positive to multiple prohibited substances.

The Defence Force conducts mandatory drug and alcohol education training each year, informed by the National Drug Strategy 2017-2026.

A spokesperson said Defence took “all incidents of testing positive for prohibited substances very seriously”.

“Defence has strict policies regarding, and does not condone, the use of prohibited substances and the misuse of prescribed or over-the-counter medications,” they said in a statement.

“The use of prohibited substances is incompatible with an effective and efficient Defence Force and can undermine health, safety, discipline, morale, security and reputation.”

They added the approach towards prohibitive substances emphasised “mutual responsibilities and education” and that it does not “merely rely on punitive measures”.

Data from the 2021 Census shows there are 47,000 members of the ADF currently living across Australia, in addition to 267,000 people who have previously served.

While most live in New South Wales and Queensland, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 5640 people – or about 12 per cent – of currently serving personnel live in Victoria.

It comes as the latest National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program found that of the substances tested in Victoria in December 2021 and February 2022, cocaine, MDMA, MDA and ketamine use increased in both regional areas and Melbourne, though cannabis and heroin use decreased.