Rise in number of British soldiers being sacked for drug use

Exclusive: MoD data shows 660 army personnel were dismissed in 2019 after failing a drug test

Hundreds of British army personnel are being dismissed every year after testing positive for drugs in compulsory tests, with the number of sackings rising steadily, the Guardian can reveal.

Ministry of Defence data released under Freedom of Information laws shows that about 660 soldiers and reservists - nearly the equivalent of a battalion - were discharged last year after testing positive for illicit substances, mostly cocaine, in the mandatory tests (CDTs).