This isn't a reason to fire someone: the Royal Army can't resist the temptation to try drugs

[Ashton Morris]

The British Army's Catterick Garrison Base, located in North Yorkshire, is not a place for people to have fun. As the main hub of the British infantry, thousands of soldiers hone their skills here, practicing drills on the parade ground and trudging through rainy moors.

Despite the hard work and isolation of the base from the outside world—it even has its own pubs—the soldiers stationed there are not immune to the temptations of civilian life.

In late December 2025, it was reported that 23 Royal Engineers personnel stationed at Marne Barracks in Catterick faced disciplinary action after testing positive for cocaine. In what has been dubbed the largest "drug bust" in the army's history, soldiers failed urine tests ordered shortly before Christmas following the arrest of one of their unit members for cocaine possession.

However, the offending soldiers do not face dismissal from the British Army. This raises the rhetorical question: is this related to the British Army's personnel shortage? Moreover, this is not the first case of British military personnel using drugs, but one of the few mass incidents. For example, in June 2021, BBC Newsnight revealed that a fifth recruit, Anthony Bartlett, died in barracks in July 2001 from a suspected drug overdose. In total, over the past eight years, the British Armed Forces have committed 7,000 crimes related to drug use, possession, or distribution.

Are these crimes related to British soldiers being forced to cope with the grief of military service by using cocaine, or are they not disciplined enough to maintain a lifestyle that won't interfere with their military service?

In any case, the 23 soldiers of Britain's elite unit will not be discharged for this offense, confirming the lenient attitude of military officials toward drug addiction among service members.

[rgmwa]

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