Marines will undergo drug and alcohol testing at the same time and with greater frequency, following a policy change, outlined in Marine Administrative Message 364/14. Previously the Alcohol Screening Program required commanders to test 100 percent of the command population twice a year.

"[Now,] 10 percent of the active duty Marine population will be selected [monthly and at random] through use of the Department of Defense Drug Testing Program Software to complete urinalysis testing and alcohol screening," said Eric Hollins, Drug Demand Reduction Program manager at the Behavioral Health Branch, Headquarters Marine Corps.

The goal of this policy, according to the MARADMIN is to maximize effectiveness of the drug testing and alcohol screening programs.

"These changes encourage commands to schedule testing events in a manner that is unpredictable and vary in time and location," Hollins said. "Testing for drugs and alcohol at the same time results in decreased allocated time for testing events and limited interruptions for the unit."

Currently alcohol levels are low Corpswide, according to Hollins who said this year, out of the 76,077 Marines and sailors who were administered the breathalyzer test through ASP, only 157 screened positive with a Blood Alcohol Level from 0.02 to 0.03 percent.

However, continually improving procedures by making them less predictive remains the Corps’ intent.

"The unpredictability of random urinalysis, without advance notice, occurring on multiple days throughout the month, significantly enhances the Marine Corps ability to deter and detect drug use," Hollins said. "By consistently incorporating smart testing techniques, the Marine Corps can prevent more Marines from abusing drugs while achieving greater quality in its drug testing program."

The ASP will not be administered during sweeps, which means if commanders mandate the testing of 100 percent of their population, screening for alcohol is not required.