Rampant Drug Abuse By US Navy SEALs?

Three Navy SEALs -- two retired, one active-duty -- spoke to CBS News about the drug use they saw in their forces. CBS NEWS

CBS News: Navy SEAL drug use "staggering," investigation finds

One of the most honored and respected segments of the U.S. military is battling an enemy within. For the first time, Navy SEALs are talking publicly about drug abuse in the ranks.

“I’m sitting in this chair because I’m not proud anymore to be in the community because of the direction that it’s going,” said one of the Navy SEALs who came forward.

Three Navy SEALs - one active duty, two retired - agreed to talk to us on camera if we disguised their faces and change their voices to protect them from retribution.

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WNU Editor: I hate reading and posting stories like this one. The US Navy SEALs are a unique groups of individuals .... but they are also human just like all of us. May those who have been flagged get the support and treatment that they need.

Is America Becoming A Nation of Pot Smokers

Gallop: One in Eight U.S. Adults Say They Smoke Marijuana

* 13% report being current marijuana users, up from 7% in 2013
* 43% of U.S. adults say they have tried it
* Use and experimentation differ by religiosity, age

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Thirteen percent of U.S. adults tell Gallup they currently smoke marijuana, nearly double the percentage who reported smoking marijuana only three years ago.

Although use of the drug is still prohibited by federal law, the number of states that have legalized recreational marijuana use has grown from two in 2013, Colorado and Washington, to four today -- with the addition of Alaska and Oregon -- plus the District of Columbia. Five states will vote on whether to legalize marijuana this November.

Half of U.S. states (including the four above) have some variation of a medicinal marijuana law on the books, and four more will be voting this fall on whether to legalize marijuana for medicinal use. Both major-party presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, have voiced support for medicinal marijuana but say they defer to the states in terms of policymaking on both recreational and medicinal marijuana use.

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WNU Editor: Prescription drug abuse is a bigger problem .... Painkiller Abuse Epidemic Awaits a Place on U.S. Party Platforms (Bloomberg).

Two U.S. Air Force Officers Overseeing Nuclear-Armed Missiles At A Montana Air Base Suspended In Drug Investigation

A nuclear missile silo in rural Montana near Malmstrom Air Force Base. (Reuters)

Two Officers At Nuclear Missile Site Targeted In Drug Investigation -- L.A. Times

Two Air Force officers who oversee nuclear missiles at a Montana base are suspected of illegal drug possession, another blow to a service suffering morale problems.

WASHINGTON — Two Air Force officers overseeing nuclear-armed missiles at a Montana air base are being investigated for involvement in illegal drugs, the latest in a string of misconduct cases involving officers who look after the nation's atomic weapons.

The disclosure Thursday of the investigation at Malmstrom Air Force Base was especially embarrassing for the Pentagon because Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spent the day visiting intercontinental ballistic missile facilities in Wyoming and Nebraska in an effort to lift morale in the beleaguered nuclear force.

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More News On Two U.S. Air Force Officers Overseeing Nuclear-Armed Missiles At A Montana Air Base Suspended In Drug Investigation

Officers at US nuclear missile base suspended in illegal drugs case -- NBC
Nuclear launch officers tied to narcotics probe -- AP
Two missile-launch crew at U.S. base in Montana suspended in drug probe -- Reuters
2 on nuke missile crew implicated in drug probe -- Stars and Stripes
Two officers at U.S. nuclear missile base suspended in illegal drugs case -- al.com
US nuclear weapons officers face drugs probe -- Al Jazeera

More Die In The U.S. From Prescription Drug Overdoses Than Heroin And Cocaine Combined

Prescription Drug Abuse Now More Deadly Than Heroin, Cocaine Combined -- Christian Science Monitor

A new study shows that deaths from prescription drug overdoses have quadrupled during the past decade, suggesting that a stronger response is needed.

More people are dying in the US from prescription drugs than from heroin and cocaine combined, a new study says, signaling that pill abuse is not just the leading cause of drug overdose deaths, but that it also requires more oversight and training by both doctors and state health agencies.

Deaths involving prescription pills have quadrupled between 1999 and 2010, according to a report released Monday by Trust for America’s Health, a nonprofit organization in Washington that studies health policy. About 6.1 million people abuse prescription pills, and overdose deaths have at least doubled in 29 states, where they now exceed vehicle-related deaths. In 10 of those states, rates tripled; in four of them, they quadrupled.

“We’ve been struck how quickly this probably has emerged … it warrants a strong public health response,” says Andrea Gielen, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy in Baltimore, who served as a consultant for the report. “We’re concerned about preventing misuse or overdoses, which are very real and heart-wrenching problems that have been skyrocketing recently.”

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My Comment: These figures are for drug overdoses .... but I suspect that these numbers will explode when one takes into account the growing linkage between violent behavior and this type of drug abuse.

Why Alcohol And War Does Not Mix

FILE: An Afghan policeman throws a box of beer out of a truck to be destroyed in Kabul, on July 17, 2006. CNN

Keeping Alcohol Out of War Zones -- International Herald Tribune

HONG KONG — Nearly every combat outpost in Afghanistan is automatically part of a volatile mix: a hardened enemy, increasingly sophisticated and deadly land mines, nervous young soldiers, powerful weapons and machinery, suicide bombers, the stress of multiple deployments, searing heat, unfriendly locals, unfamiliar languages.

The U.S. Army has concluded that adding alcohol to that mix is unwise.

But now, with the massacre of 16 Afghan civilians, alcohol has been suggested as a possible causal factor in the killings, along with other stressors. Inquiries into the tragedy are ongoing; the facts remain unclear.

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My Comment: Michael Yon does not think that this is a critical problem .... and I will agree. What is the big problem .... and one that reader AllSeeingMom has pointed out to me eloquently .... is the availability of psychotropic drugs in Afghanistan to combat "PTSD" in the troops. Apparently these meds are available like "candy", with no clear understanding on what are the long term effects of having this medication given to our troops.

Interestingly .... heroin and marijuana use is NOT a significant problem in the military .... in a country that is the world's #1 producer .... at least from what I am reading.

Military Cracks Down On Prescription Drug Abues

Military In Crackdown On Prescription Drug Abuse -- NECN

(NECN: Barbara Starr: Washington, D.C.) - Prescription drug abuse is a big problem in the military, and now steps are being taken to institute programs to clamp down on misuse.

The pharmacy at a military hospital outside Washington, D.C. fills hundreds of prescriptions every week, with wounded troops, as well as those suffering from traumatic stress, often having multiple prescriptions, so it's not surprising that prescription pill abuse is a major problem throughout the military.

One of the major controls is the simplest.

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My Comment: This is a huge problem, but at least the military is trying to get their hands on it.

New Drug Spice Proliferating In U.S. Military

Synthetic marijuana known as Spice can cause hallucinations. Schorle/wikipedia.com

New Drug Spice Proliferating In U.S. Military, Officials Admit; Can Cause Hallucinations -- New York Daily News

Synthetic marijuana led to more than 1,000 investigations in 2011.

A new drug that can leave its users hallucinating for days is spreading through the military ranks at an alarming rate, military officials admitted.

The drug, a synthetic marijuana known as Spice, has led to the investigation of 700 Marines and Navy sailors this year — up from 29 two years ago. The Air Force has punished 497 airmen so far this year alone as well, The Associated Press reported.

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More News On How The Drug Spice Is Proliferating In The U.S. Military

US military targeting users of dangerous ‘Spice’ drug that can bring days-long hallucinations -- Washington Post/AP
US Military Cracks Down on 'Synthetic' Marijuana -- Medical Daily
Pentagon probes use of 'synthetic' pot by troops -- USA Today
Naval Hospital Sees Increased Number of Spice-Users -- San Diego Reader
‘Spice’ makers alter recipes to sidestep state laws banning synthetic marijuana -- Washington Post
Chemists find ways around spice laws -- UPI

US Navy Has A Drug Problem

Zero tolerance: 64 Navy soldiers were caught using- and many selling- Spice, which is a substitute for marijuana that has been outlawed in 15 states

64 Navy Sailors Who Served On Board Carrier That Buried Bin Laden Are Discharged Over Drug Use -- Daily Mail

Sixty-four sailors from the San Diego-based U.S. Third Fleet will be kicked out of the Navy for drug use, mostly involving a synthetic drug that mimics marijuana, military officials said Thursday.

Capt. Greg Hicks of the Third Fleet said the sailors worked aboard the USS San Francisco, the floating dry dock Arco, and the USS Carl Vinson, the aircraft carrier that buried Osama bin Laden at sea.

Mr Hicks said the Navy is still investigating and does not know if the accused members of the Vinson crew were aboard or using drugs when it was on its mission in the Middle East at the time.

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The Navy announced that 49 sailors assigned to the carrier Carl Vinson were connected to the sale, possession or use of spice. The alleged ring includes two distributors, one middle man and 46 users. Above, Carl Vinson departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in June for a Tiger Cruise back to San Diego. MC2 James R. Evans / Navy

More News On The US Navy's Drug Bust

Navy: 64 sailors busted for spice use, sales -- Navy Times
Sailors Caught Illegally Using, Distributing Drug Spice, Navy Says -- L.A. Times
Navy to Kick Out 64 Sailors for Drug Use From Fleet That Buried Bin Laden -- Fox News/AP
Navy punishes 64 San Diego sailors in 'fake pot' bust -- USA Today
Navy discharging 64 sailors for drug use, distribution -- Reuters
64 Sailors Caught in Alleged Drug Ring -- NBC San Diego

My Comment: I guess cases like this one are not isolated cases.

Massive Drug Arrests At Boeing Military Aircraft Plant

US Nabs Boeing Workers On Drug Charges At Military Aircraft Plant -- Wall Street Journal

PHILADELPHIA (Dow Jones)--Federal prosecutors charged about three dozen current and former employees of a Boeing Co. (BA) military-aircraft plant with selling or buying prescription drugs that workers allegedly abused on the job.

Federal agents raided the Ridley Park, Pa., plant Thursday morning and arrested a majority of those charged. Prosecutors said 36 of the people were either current or former Boeing employees, while one person charged was neither.

The Ridley Park plant, which employs about 6,000 workers, produces the CH-47 Chinook helicopter and V-22 Osprey aircraft, a hybrid of a helicopter and airplane. Both products are used by the U.S. military. Most of the people arrested Thursday worked in the production area of the plant.

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More News On Today's Drug Arrests At A Boeing Military Aircraft Plant

Boeing military aircraft workers face drug charges -- AFP
Dozens arrested in drug raid at Boeing plant -- CBS News
Feds Arrest Dozens in Drug Bust at Boeing Plant -- FOX News/AP
Dozens of Boeing workers charged in drug bust -- CNN
Boeing workers busted in drug sweep at plant -- Reuters
About 3 dozen arrested in prescription drug raid at Boeing military helicopter plant in Pa. -- Washington Post
FBI Arrests Boeing Plant Workers in Prescription Drug Sting -- ABC News

A Third Of Wounded U.S. Soldiers Are Addicted To Drugs

Photo: Traumatic: U.S. soldiers help a wounded comrade after they were struck by an IED in Afghanistan (file photo).

Up To 35% Of Wounded Soldiers Addicted To Drugs -- USA Today

Medical officials estimate that 25% to 35% of about 10,000 ailing soldiers assigned to special wounded-care companies or battalions are addicted or dependent on drugs — particularly prescription narcotic pain relievers, according to an Army inspector general's report made public Tuesday.

The report also found that these formations known as Warrior Transition Units — created after reports detailed poorly managed care at Walter Reed Army Hospital— have become costly way stations where ill, injured or wounded soldiers can wait more than a year for a medical discharge.

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More News On This Growing Addiction Problem

Report: 1/3 of warrior-unit soldiers addicted -- UPI
Problems in Army’s Trauma Units -- New York Times
Report: Many Wounded Army Soldiers Are Drug-Dependent -- Kasllink.com
Drug Addictions Affecting Wounded Soldiers -- EMaxHealth

My Comment: Only 35%? I expected the percentage to be much higher.

The Growing Problem Of Steroid Abuse In The U.S. Military

Yet Another Illegal Battlefield Drug -- Strategy Page

December 1, 2010: The U.S. Army is facing another, and rather poignant, drug menace. It seems a growing number of infantry troops are using steroids, to help them build muscle mass, so that they can better handle the loads they have to carry in combat. For most of these troops, the additional muscle is seen as a matter of life and death. But there are short term (mood swings, especially irritability and increased aggressiveness) and long term (hypertension, damage to the heart or liver) risks from steroid use. Even so, many troops accept the risks, in order to obtain a little more speed in combat. Speed is often the key to survival out there.

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Update #1: US soldiers using steroids to increase brawn for battle -- Sydney Morning Herald
Update #2: Steroid use on the rise in the Army -- Seattle Times

My Comment: It's going to be the cigarettes that will kill them in the end.

The Growing Opiate Drug Abuse Problem For U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan

Number of Soldiers Seeking Opiate Abuse Treatment Skyrockets -- FOXNews.com

The number of American soldiers seeking treatment for opiate abuse has skyrocketed over the past five years, at a time when the U.S. military has been surging forces into the heart of the world's leading opium producer.

Pentagon statistics obtained by FoxNews.com show that the number of Army soldiers enrolled in Substance Abuse Program counseling for opiates has soared nearly 500 percent -- from 89 in 2004 to 529 last year. The number showed a steady increase almost every year in that time frame -- but it leaped 50 percent last year when the U.S. began surging troops into Afghanistan. Army troop levels in Afghanistan went from 14,000 as of the end of 2004 to 46,400 as of the end of 2009.

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My Comment: And these are the soldiers who are coming forward. I suspect that the problem is much deeper than what is being reported.

The Drugging Of Our Soldiers

Soldiers Taking Psychiatric Medications for Stress -- ABC News

Many American Soldiers Turning to Prescription drugs to Treat Psychological Distress.

After years on the battlefield or in the trenches, many American soldiers are showing signs of psychological distress. An increasing number of soldiers are turning to medication to alleviate their symptoms.

From the isolated outposts of Afghanistan to the bloody streets of Fallujah in Iraq, U.S. troops have been fighting, dying and suffering unbearable emotional scars. A 2008 Rand Corporation study found under 20% of soldiers reported psychological distress in some form.

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More News On The Use/Abuse Of Prescription Pain killers By Soldiers/Veterans

Senators want data on prescription drug use -- Navy Times
Abuse of pain pills by troops concerns Pentagon -- USA Today
Prescription painkiller use up in military -- UPI
Prescription Drug Use in Military on the Rise -- Associated Content
Medicating the military -- Air Force Times
G.I. Drugged -- American Conservative

My Comment: My father (and his fellow WWII veterans) drug of choice was alcohol. But if he was alive today, I am sure that he would be popping pills like the rest of our veterans. Such is the continuing cost of war .... long after the battles had ended.