115 sacked from Defence Forces for illegal drug use in last 10 years

Testing is carried out by a special organisation within the Defence Forces known as the Compulsory Random Drugs Test Unit.

A total of 115 personnel have been sacked by the Defence Forces in the past 10 years after testing positive for illegal drugs, with the highest number of these dismissals occurring last year.

There were 11,381 random drug tests carried out on soldiers, sailors, and air crews during that timeframe, with a drop in the rate of testing during the covid years of 2020 (788 tests) and 2021 (388 tests).

In 2023, some 959 tests were undertaken, which resulted in 16 positives for drugs, with 15 people discharged.

The second-highest number of dismissals occurred in 2015 and 2022, when 14 members of the Defence Forces were sacked.

In 2015, there were 1,184 tests administered and in 2022 there were 1,015. The highest number of tests was in 2016, at 1,229, which resulted in 10 people being discharged.

Testing is carried out by a special organisation within the Defence Forces known as the Compulsory Random Drugs Test Unit.

Some people who receive a positive result are not discharged if they can prove that they are on a type of medication which can, in some circumstances, mimic an illegal drug during testing.

In cases where there is a question mark over the test results, the person can be put on a specific programme, varying between 18 months and two years, where they agree to a mandatory test at any time.

In 2013, there were 13 positive tests, with 12 people dismissed. Five positive tests in 2014 resulted in two discharges.

The following year there were 17 positives and 14 discharges, while in 2016 there were 12 positive tests and 10 people were sacked.

In 2017, some 15 tested positive and 11 were discharged from the force, while the figures were 18 and 13, respectively, the following year, and 16 and 12 in 2019.

There were 17 positive tests in 2022 and 14 discharges, while last year there were 15 discharged following 16 positive tests.

In total, 74% of respondents in the 2015 Wellbeing in the Defence Forces survey supported drug testing as a positive development.

“Since 2003, when drug testing was introduced in the Defence Forces, there have been in excess of 26,500 tests conducted, of which 215 have been deemed as positive tests,” said a Defence Forces spokesman.

“We have tested 314 members across nine locations so far this year, and have no positive tests yet.”