Ana Maria Salazar, deputy assistant secretary of defense for drug enforcement policy and support, noted that drug use by DoD personnel is down 90 percent compared to two decades ago. Just 2.6 percent of all service members reported drug use within the 30 days preceding their response to a 1998 survey, she said. More than 27 percent of respondents in a 1980 survey said they used illegal drugs in the preceding 30 days, she noted.
Drug use is incompatible with military service.
Our system identifies users and ensures that they are punished. This approach deters drug use by other service members and promotes readiness. Drug use by society in general damages our ability as a nation to have a strong economy with citizens who are focused on healthy lifestyles. This, in itself, threatens security. Almost a third of service members weren't living drug-free lifestyles 20 years ago, but drug use had become a problem for the U.S. military much earlier, Salazar said.