The Pentagon Objected to Platoon’s Depiction of Drug Use in the Military
The US military tried to handle the heroin epidemic with a mixture of military discipline and penalties, combined with a limited amnesty. Military personnel who were caught using or possessing drugs were subject to court martial and dishonorable discharge. Those who voluntarily sought help were offered an “amnesty” and a brief stint of treatment. As statistics revealed, that approach was a dismal failure, and heroin use skyrocketed. The idea that so many servicemen were addicted to heroin horrified the American public.
Heroin was perceived as the most addictive narcotic ever produced, and one whose addiction was nearly impossible to escape. In response, President Nixon created the Special Action Office of Drug Abuse Prevention. He also ordered further research on military personnel addiction. The results were worse than congressmen Murphy’s and Steele’s figures. Instead of 15%, the true figure for self-identifying addicts in Vietnam was actually 20%. This took place as the US tried to negotiate an exit from the war, while drawing down its troops.