General The Lord Dannatt (above) said the MoD had very little choice but to relax its rules for recruits
Army recruits caught taking drugs during their basic training are being allowed to remain in the military for the first time.
Top brass have relaxed the rules because drug abuse is so rife among would-be soldiers that throwing out those who fail drug tests was decimating numbers at a time when the Army is desperately short of troops.
But the move has been slammed as ‘a weak and dangerous surrender’ – and raises fears about drug users having access to firearms.
Official documents seen by The Mail on Sunday reveal that the Ministry of Defence has changed its approach because of shocking levels of drug abuse among young people in Britain.
One former head of the British Army, General the Lord Dannatt, said: ‘This is a rather sad reflection on our society today.’
High-level government sources added that, before the move, up to ten per cent of new recruits faced being dismissed from the Army after failing drug tests during the first 14 weeks of their training.
Now they will be allowed to stay, whatever substance has been found in their system – including heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis.
Last night, anti-drugs campaigner Elizabeth Burton-Phillips said: ‘This is a weak move by the Army. Any normalisation of drug use is very dangerous indeed and if young people see a green light, they will go through that light.’
Above, recruits on basic Army training. A source said: ‘The change in the approach to recruits taking drugs is driven by two factors – the desperate shortage of recruits and the prolific levels of recreational drug use in civilian society’. (File photo)
She added: ‘The Army’s move sends a message that drug-taking is normal. But isn’t the Army all about discipline and enforcing the highest standards?
‘I’m surprised they’ve surrendered in the war against drugs. Society respects the Army for being strong on moral standards and having high expectations for the conduct of its soldiers.’
Her concerns were echoed by Conservative backbencher and former Army Reservist David Davies, who said: ‘This is deeply worrying. I think it’s very disappointing because basic training for the Army involves the use of firearms.
‘Nobody found with drugs in their system should be let anywhere near a firearm. Everyone knows when they start their training that you don’t mess around, and having drugs in your system should be totally unacceptable. They should stick with the old rules.’
Another former head of the Army, General Sir Mike Jackson (above), also gave his backing to the move, saying: ‘When we are dealing with young people of otherwise good character, I am entirely comfortable with them being given a second chance at this stage of their careers if they fail a drugs test’
But a source said: ‘The change in the approach to recruits taking drugs is driven by two factors – the desperate shortage of recruits and the prolific levels of recreational drug use in civilian society.’
The controversial move comes at a time when police forces across the UK are being accused of ‘going soft’ on criminals who sell and use drugs. It emerged last week how cannabis growers who produce vast quantities of the drug are being let off with cautions.
The Army insists it is not relaxing its zero-tolerance policy once recruits have passed their basic training. It is estimated that the Army is losing more than a battalion of fully trained serving troops each year due to drug abuse.
According to the most recent Ministry of Defence figures, 700 fully trained service personnel were booted out in 2015 after failing drug tests.
Of these, 630 were soldiers, with 70 sacked from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force combined. Most of these personnel had used crack, heroin, LSD or cocaine.
General The Lord Dannatt said the MoD had very little choice but to relax its rules for recruits. ‘Given where we are, the Army needs a 21st Century approach to a 21st Century problem.
‘This is a societal problem which the Army has to deal with. So in these circumstances I think it makes sense to give a second chance to recruits as part of their training process. But the Army must never tolerate drug taking in field formation units.’
Another former head of the Army, General Sir Mike Jackson, also gave his backing to the move, saying: ‘When we are dealing with young people of otherwise good character, I am entirely comfortable with them being given a second chance at this stage of their careers if they fail a drugs test.’
The Army’s move comes at a time when recruiting levels are at a record low. According to figures seen by The Mail on Sunday, most of the training places available at the Army’s infantry training depots are going unfilled.
A source said: ‘In the case of the Guards regiments, 71 per cent of their recruit training places are not being taken up.
‘Faced with these dire figures, regiments cannot afford to lose any more recruits. Today’s numbers game dictates those trainees who fail a drugs test are given a second chance. If young people were breaking down the door to join the Army we could raise the entry standards and be more strict about their behaviour during basic training, but they’re not.
‘Recruiting is on the floor, so we have to work with what we’ve got.’
Last night, official MoD sources confirmed the change had come into effect in the last year.
Sources insisted there was no change in the Army’s ‘zero tolerance’ approach to drug taking by fully trained soldiers. Only in exceptional circumstances are these troops given a second chance.
An internal MoD document produced to explain the move says: ‘Young recruits in the first 14 weeks of training who fail on their first drugs test and meet the retention criteria will be allowed to continue with their training but will be ‘back-squadded’ [returned to the early stage of training] and will face further drugs testing.
‘Should they fail on two occasions, they will be discharged.
‘The Army recruits from all parts of society and it recognises that some soldiers come from a background where recreational drug use can be common. It is therefore appropriate to combine strict regulation with a focus on education and nurture for new recruits.’
It added: ‘[Fully trained] soldiers caught taking drugs can expect to be discharged.’
An Army spokesperson said: ‘Over 8,000 people joined the Regular Army last year and since this April, applications are over 20% higher compared to the same period in 16/17.
‘There has been no relaxation of the longstanding zero-tolerance policy on drug misuse.’