Did you know that soldiers and other military personnel are given a 9 to 180-day supply of dangerous and addictive prescription drugs prior to deploying to combat? Not only does this military policy set our soldiers up for becoming addicts, it also endangers their lives and those of others when they’re medicated on the front lines rather than being at their most alert.

The types of drugs they’re given include Valium and Xanax, among others. Seroquel is also given. Seroquel used to be limited to people diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, mania and depression. Now the soldiers are being given Seroquel as a sleep aid.

Last year, two Marines died in their sleep from taking too much of it.

According to nextgov.com, 1.1 million active-duty troops were surveyed about their psychotropic prescription drug use. Antidepressants, antipsychotics, sedative hypnotics, and other controlled substances. The internal Defense Department reporting the results of the survey showed that 20 percent of these 1.1 million troops were taking some form of psychotropic drug.

This practice has been going on for quite a while. A former Navy psychiatrist, Dr. Grace Jackson, resigned in 2002 “out of conscience, because I did not want to be a pill pusher.” She believes that the drug policy is destroying the force.

Another doctor who runs a clinic that treats chronic pain and prescription drug addiction said he would be afraid of what the troops would do because they were taking these drugs.

Many of these drugs also have an increased risk of suicide. In fact, the military drug policy may have something to do with increased suicide rate among our troops. The incidence of military suicides in 2010 was the worst since they started keeping records in 1980. And for every death by suicide in 2010, at least five troops were hospitalized for attempted suicide.

Very bad scene.

Parents, be aware that if your kids are planning on joining the military, you should educate them thoroughly on the dangers of prescription drugs so they don’t get caught in this trap. Also, when your kids come home from their service, check into their drug use and, if needed, get them into drug rehab as soon as possible.

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