In a decision that may not be popular with sailors, the U.S. Navy will soon start administering breathalyzer tests to sailors and Marines who are reporting for active duty on ships and submarines, according to an announcement made recently by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.
The new tests are a small part of the Navy’s 21st Century Sailor and Marine program, which is a multi-faceted initiative designed to improve the lifestyles of members of the military.
The new initiative promotes healthy lifestyles by promoting better nutrition, heightened fitness, and responsible alcohol use. The wide-ranging program also has zero tolerance for drug use, according to a report from Fox News.
Of course, the program is not just intended to limit certain activities. It also reportedly offers programs related to topics ranging from suicide prevention, financial planning, and family and personal counseling.
These programs may be welcomed by many soldiers, but the breathalyzer tests administered aboard ships is a new, and potentially unwelcome, development.
The program, though, is a direct response to alcohol-related incidents that can “end careers and sometimes end lives,” according to a Navy spokesperson.
Sources indicate that, currently, roughly 180 active duty sailors are arrested for a DUI each month. The military believes this number is too high.
According to Mabus, the new program “is not done to punish, but to help. We want to help sailors and Marines make good choices before something happens that can’t be undone.” He also said the military’s goal is to maximize sailors’ safety, fitness, and readiness.
In addition, the Navy is concerned about sailors’ long-term healthy. According to Mabus, when “a sailor’s or Marine’s time in the military ends, whether it is after four years or 40, we want your productive life to continue and for you to leave the service in better health, more trained and better educated than when you came in.”
Sources indicate that equipment designed for alcohol screening tests will start being installed on Navy ships this month, and will continue to be rolled out through the end of 2012.
And, in response to privacy concerns given by many sailors, the breathalyzer tests given on board Navy ships would not be legally admissible in a criminal trial.
Instead, the tests are simply designed to give commanding officers notice about potential problems related to alcohol. Sources say the tests are not intended to lead to punitive measures, or criminal convictions.
