Heavy drinking, cigarette smoking on rise in US military, study finds

[underpants]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/us_military_health
2 hours, 40 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A Pentagon (news - web sites) survey made public has found heavy drinking and cigarette smoking rose among duty members of the US military during the 2001-2002 period as they fought or prepared for wars in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Iraq (news - web sites).

"These findings, along with indicators of stress in mental health, are not entirely surprising given the role of the military in recent world events in the period 2002 and 2001," said William Winkenwerder, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.

The survey, which was conducted by the Research Triangle Institute, found that heavy drinking rose from 15.4 percent in 1998 to 18.1 percent in 2002. Heavy drinking was defined as having five or more drinks in a single sitting once a week.

Cigarette smoking was up from 29.9 percent to 33.8 percent in the same five year period.

Reported use of illegal drugs climbed from 2.7 percent to 3.4 percent, a change that the researchers said was statistically insignificant.

[thebigidea]

1. bwhahahah!

"Reported use of illegal drugs climbed from 2.7 percent to 3.4 percent"

And the UNreported use would be...

I hear there's a real bumper crop of opium this year.

[underpants]

3. Now if you figure there are about 1.4M in the military

3.4% = 47,600 using illegal drugs

2.7% = 37,800 before

a rise of 9,800.

[tom_paine]

2. These behaviors have been done by soldiers since time began

I would also imagine that people who know that they are being lied to, who joined something with high expectations only to be endangering themselves halfway around the world for a lie would hit the sauce a little harder to numb their psychic pain.

[scottcsmith]

4. I'm not surprised it is on the rise

When my ship returned to its home port at Yokosuka, Japan following the first Persian Gulf war, a huge crowd had gathered on the pier. After we had docked and I left the ship I found myself being offered beer. People were on the pier holding pitchers of beer for us to drink. Man, did we drink. Later that night some of the Marines from my ship hit the enlisted club and got into a bunch of fights, and most of us from the ship ended up inebriated by the end of the day.

[Sannum]

5. If I were there

I would drink too...

[JoFerret]

6. These creeps are in the process of destroying the Clinton army

of well trained, well equipped, well paid high morale volunteers. I hope that Kerry can restore the honor and dignitude (sic) in service in all kinds of ways for the country. The troops need all the best help and support they can get and the best help and support is to be used only as necessary and not as the private arm of the Bush family and its hanger-on.With Kerry at least they may have a chance to return to a country that will honor their service with jobs, education, veterans benefits, health care, pensions.

[izzie]

7. Are you sure it has gone up? It was always pretty wild in my days

when I was married to a sailor.