Base drug testing expanded for prescription abuse

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Michelle Vickers
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Hurlburt Field's Drug Demand Reduction program will expand drug testing beginning May 1 in compliance with Department of Defense policy to screen service members for commonly abused prescription drugs.

On Jan. 31, the Secretary of Defense gave a 90-day advance notice of the drug testing expansion which aims to counter the nation's growing epidemic and encourage those abusing prescription medications to seek treatment before official testing begins.

While the use of some illegal drugs like cocaine has decreased, the nation's largest survey of drug use among young people showed prescription drugs as the second most abused category of drugs following marijuana, said Shirlan Brooks, chief of Hurlburt's DDR program.

Military data also reflects an uptick in prescription drug misuse. The DoD Health Behaviors Survey indicated abuse of pain medications for non-medical purposes among service members has risen from two percent in 2002 to 17 percent in 2008.

The Drug Demand Reduction program's goal is to deter military members from using illegal drugs and abusing controlled substances, Brooks said.

"We also have to maintain the health and wellness of base personnel so we have a fit and ready fighting force available," she said.

The Air Force Drug Testing Laboratory will increase testing on all pain medications by 100 percent by Oct. 1. Medications will include hydrocodone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, codeine, morphine, hydromorphone, anxiety-reducing drugs and heroin.

Controlled medication should be taken only for the purpose it was prescribed, and users must follow all dosing instructions given by their doctors. Service members also should not take someone else's prescribed medicine.

Instead of self-diagnosing and taking old prescription medication, service members must seek out medical care for new ailments, even if the symptoms are familiar. Unused or expired drugs should be discarded.

To protect the health of both humans and the environment, prescription drugs must be disposed of with care, Brooks said.

Hurlburt Field will sponsor the Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day scheduled for April 28. Base organizers at last year's event collected nearly 60 pounds of unwanted or expired medications that potentially could have been abused.

Those who need help discontinuing use of prescription drugs for non-medical purposes can self-identify and seek help according to Air Force Instruction 44-121 through the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment program. Disclosure must be made to a unit commander, first sergeant, substance abuse evaluator or military medical professional prior to being ordered to provide a urine sample to qualify for limited protections.

"The Air Force doesn't tolerate illegal or improper use of drugs by personnel," Brooks said. "Drug use is incompatible with military service and automatically jeopardizes a service member's continued career."

For more information about drug testing, contact the DDR program at 884-2574. For more information about ADAPT, call 881-4237.

(Information to this article also provided by Jon Stock, Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs)