SAN DIEGO (AP) — Marines and sailors will be subject to random blood-alcohol tests twice a year in what is billed as the toughest anti-drinking policy in the United States military.

Starting Jan. 1, any Marine or sailor found to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.01 percent or higher may be referred for counseling. Anyone who tests at 0.04 percent or higher will be referred to medical personnel to determine fitness for duty.

In all 50 states and the District of Columbia, a driver with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent is considered drunk. A single drink can lead to a level of 0.01 percent.

The Marine Corps policy is primarily focused on deterrence and education, but nothing precludes commanders from handing out punishments, Lt. Gen. R. E. Milstead Jr., deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs, said in a Dec. 12 directive.