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-Election 2012
Study: Military drinking 'culture' now a 'crisis'
2012-09-18
A new study says substance abuse among troops has become a "public health crisis" and Pentagon methods for dealing with it are outdated.

The study by the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, says about 20 percent of active duty service members reported they drank heavily in 2008, the last year for which data is available. And, binge-drinking rose to 47 percent in 2008 from 35 percent in 1998.

The study says new methods are needed to help troops. Those include better trained counselors and more outpatient care as opposed to relying so heavily on hospitalizations and residential programs.
Posted by:Glump Ulomoger8487

#11  Big Enlisted and Officer Club system throughout the services, most of which have largely diminished or disappeared. Wasn't a crisis then?


And in addition to the dollar pitchers as per S.A.M., there used to be topless dancers rightalongside the brewskis.
THEN back to the NAS JAX hangars to work on the mighty Sea Kings in the hot Florida sun. Chief Virgil taught this young'un a thing or two about excess drinking, there was always a rotor head that needed some work. no UCMJ, Captain's Mast or nothin, just sun, heat and Miller draft. self correcting.
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2012-09-18 22:16  

#10  Leave them alone.
Nanny state 'culture' now a 'crisis'
Posted by: newc   2012-09-18 16:23  

#9  Setting the example with White House home brew.
Posted by: Besoeker   2012-09-18 15:48  

#8  Big Enlisted and Officer Club system throughout the services, most of which have largely diminished or disappeared. Wasn't a crisis then?

Man, doesn't that bring back some memories. We'd hit the Enlisted Club for lunch and have Dollar Pitchers, then go back to the Hanger for the afternoon sorties at N.A.S. Cecil Field. In the 70's.
Posted by: Secret Asian Man   2012-09-18 14:57  

#7  We received a stat for volunteer firefighters marking a spike in abusive drinking as part of a wider effort for personal counciling concerning tough runs. I'm not going to say there are no tough runs, but best we could figure such a jump was a lowering of the amount of alcohol consumed for an abuse/binge rating. Basically, if we had three beers over the course of the next twelve hours it is a binge, which a number called b&ls!t.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2012-09-18 14:50  

#6  History reminds us of the restorative effects of the Russians daily Vodka rations on the Eastern Front.
Posted by: borgboy   2012-09-18 14:02  

#5  Someone trying to start another "growth" program sucking on the funds of the DoD. Full employment for shrinks and blue-nose counselors.
Posted by: tipover   2012-09-18 13:59  

#4  Just another faux study with foregone conclusions to make the military jump to some tune. Besides, what is "drank heavily?" How was this quantified? If this was just a multiple choice questionnaire or "rate your drinking habits" type then its all empty BS. Anything to spend that federal grant so they can ask for more federal grants.
Liberal progressives! Sheesh!
Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839   2012-09-18 12:26  

#3  From the title I thought they had found a record number of tee-totallers in the service.

Weird how you never see studies decrying the level of substance abuse among those on the dole.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2012-09-18 12:01  

#2  Perhaps they ought to watch old reruns of "Mash"...
Posted by: trailing wife   2012-09-18 10:59  

#1  Huh. Obviously the 'researchers' never were around the military in the 60s or 70s. Big Enlisted and Officer Club system throughout the services, most of which have largely diminished or disappeared. Wasn't a crisis then?

Maybe they need some pilot 'rehab' programs, say, at the universities as proof their concepts effectiveness.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2012-09-18 10:40  

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