Army cannabis use ’not a problem’

Press, 2 August 1977, Page 6

Army cannabis use ’not a problem’

By C

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY

Army sources are unanimous that there is no serious drug problem in New Zealand Army camps, in spite of disclosures bv two Territorial soldiers in "The Press" yesterday. Official figures produced at Army headquarters disclose

that there has been one de-’ tected case of drug taking at Bumham Camp in the last, six months, and one at Wai-j ouru in the last 12 months.! There is no record of drug-! taking cases at either Linton' or Papakura. When 1 asked a senior! officer: "Is it significant that! the information published bv! The Press’ came from Terri-] itorials?” the replv was: “You said it, I didn’t.” Senior officers are emphatic that drug-taking is not a development of the Vietnam campaign, or of service in South-East Asia One. with long Vietnam service, said that at one stage the United States authorities tended to disbelieve drug addiction figures sent in by the New Zealand forces, which indie-] ated that none of them were using drugs. A United States psychiatrist was sent to the New Zealand unit, spent some davs examining New Zealand] soldiers at work and recrea-] tion, and confirmed that the| New Zealand report was true.' The Armv Public Relations Officer (Major B. Bestic). himself a Vietnam veteran, said that New Zealanders in Vietnam were not interested in drugs "The unit there was a corporate entitv of fit young men.” he said. “Thev mav have been proud of their physical fitness, but whatever it was thev did not take [ drugs.” Another informant said that four years ago there was “a hit of a flap on” in Singapore about alleged drug-taking, but

“it didn’t amount to much.” 1 “This is a problem which we are watching all the time,” said the Minister of Defence (Mr McCready >. “Lectures on 1 drug addiction are included; in the syllabus for both Regu- ! lar and Territorial training. It, is obvious that there must be, a certain carrv-over into the] forces of civilian attitudes,! but it mav not be all that] important. “It must be remembered that, though our Territorials are of very high calibre, they must carry their civilian background into then Army training. Their standards of competence and discipline are different from those of the career soldier.” There had only been one incident of cannabis smoking amongst soldiers in military camps in the lower North! Island, according to camp; spokesmen yesterday, reports! the Press Association.

One Territorial recruit at Waiouru brought one cannabis cigarette into the camp, but was discovered and immediately discharged, said Colonel G. A. Hitchings, who has been at the camp for a year as commander of the training group. Area commanders at Trentham and Linton camps said that thev had no knowledge of smoking within their camps, although they were aware of the problem outside. Colonel Hitchings said that lectures were given on drugs

and recruits were given warnings on the regulations regarding liquor and drugs.