US navy service members ought to keep away from “all consumption” of poppy seeds in all their varieties as a result of chance they are going to yield optimistic drug testing outcomes, the Pentagon warned in a memo to the secretaries of the navy departments revealed on Tuesday.  

Whereas acknowledging that “issues with poppy seeds and drug testing will not be new,” Undersecretary of Protection for Personnel and Readiness Gilbert Cisneros revealed that “current information” had proven the seeds had “increased codeine contamination than beforehand reported.” Poppy seeds come from the opium poppy, the identical plant species used to fabricate narcotic painkillers corresponding to morphine and codeine, and are sometimes contaminated with small quantities of opium extract when harvested. 

“Consumption of poppy seed merchandise may trigger a codeine optimistic urinalysis end result and undermine the Division’s skill to determine illicit drug use,” Cisneros wrote within the memo. 

“Out of an abundance of warning, I discover defending Service members and the integrity of the drug testing program requires a warning to keep away from poppy seeds,” he continued, promising to “revise this coverage accordingly” as extra information grew to become out there. Division secretaries have been instructed to impose a ban on “meals merchandise and baked items containing poppy seeds” on their underlings indefinitely. 

The US navy has confronted a recruitment disaster lately because the pool of these certified to serve continues to shrink. Latest statistics present that weight problems and different medical circumstances, psychological issues, and legal information –  together with a historical past of drug use – have rendered greater than 70% of younger American adults ages 18 to 24 ineligible for navy service and not using a waiver, in accordance with a report from the veterans’ advocacy group Mission: Readiness Group. 

On the identical time, navy leaders testified final 12 months that just one in 11 eligible People really needs to serve.

Some Military recruiters at the moment are reportedly contemplating opening their doorways to hashish customers, provided that greater than 93% of 19-25 12 months olds have some sort of entry to a authorized type of the drug and 30% of younger adults beneath 30 have acknowledged smoking it – an admission which in itself requires a waiver. 

Whereas opioid use amongst younger adults is much less widespread, that age group is the largest abuser of prescription opioid painkillers, in accordance with the Nationwide Institute of Drug Abuse, which said in a current publication that 12% of 18-25 12 months olds had misused pharmaceuticals previously 12 months.

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