Cheap alcohol readily available on U.S. military installations and “Vietnam era” approaches to treating substance abuse are just two of the causes researchers from the Institute of Medicine are citing in what it is calling a “public health crisis” among members of the U.S. military.
"Better care for service members and their families is hampered by inadequate prevention strategies, staffing shortages, lack of coverage for services that are proved to work, and stigma associated with these disorders," said Charles P. O'Brien, chair of the committee that wrote the report.
According to the study, requested by the U.S. Defense Department, about 20 percent of active-duty service members reported they engaged in heavy drinking in 2008, the latest year that data was available.
The report said binge drinking increased from 35 percent in 1998 to 47 percent in 2008, and added that the U.S. military has a long history of alcohol and drug abuse and misuse disorders that have been exacerbated by deployment.
“Since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, alcohol abuse among returning military personnel has spiked,” the report’s authors wrote.
Concerns over the spike is what prompted members of the U.S. Congress to request the review.
Combat related injuries were also cited as possible factors for what researchers are calling “skyrocketing prescription painkiller use”.
In 2009, military physicians wrote nearly 3.8 million prescriptions for pain medication. That’s more than quadruple the number of prescriptions written in 2001, the report said.
The report recommended that the military re-examine access to alcoholic beverages. “The armed forces should enforce regulations on underage drinking, reduce the number of outlets that sell alcohol on bases, and limit their hours of operation.”
And the study said new methods are needed to help members of the military, including better trained counselors and additional outpatient care.
Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said Defense Department officials are analyzing the Institute of Medicine’s findings and will consider the panel’s input in making improvements as needed.
“We too recognize the extent of the problem and have been hard at work instituting policies, programs, and steps to combat substance abuse issues. The health and well-being of our service members is paramount,” Smith said.
One area the report praised is a pilot program called the Army Confidential Alcohol Treatment and Education Project.
Smith said that program is designed to reduce the stigma by balancing confidential care with accountability. No word yet if that program will be expanded to include service members from other military branches.
