Study: Military drinking 'culture' now a 'crisis' Sep 17, 5:53
PM (ET) By PAULINE JELINEK WASHINGTON (AP) - Abusing alcohol and
drugs has been part of military culture historically: troops do
it for fun, to ease the stresses of war or to be part of the
brotherhood. But a new report says substance use and misuse
among troops and their families has become a "public health
crisis" and that Pentagon methods for dealing with it are out-
of-date. In a study requested by the Defense Department, the
Institute of Medicine report Monday said: - About 20 percent of
active-duty service members reported they engaged in heavy
drinking in 2008, the latest year for which data was available.
(Heavy drinking was defined as five or more drinks a day as a
regular practice.) - While rates of both illicit and
prescription drug abuse are low, the rate of medication misuse
is rising. Just 2 percent of active-duty personnel reported
misusing prescription drugs in 2002 compared with 11 percent in
2008. - The armed forces' programs and