Alcohol Use Among Young Adults in the Military : Policies, Pricing, Deglamorization

by National Institute of Health

(Page 3 of 4)

Although the U.S. military has implemented policies and programs designed to reduce alcohol use and related problems among personnel, examples of which are described below, there has been little formal evaluation of these programs. This is an important area for future research, as evaluation is a critical component of any comprehensive prevention program. Thus, despite the military's efforts to address problem drinking, the effectiveness of these programs in reducing or preventing hazardous drinking and its attendant problems remains largely unknown. The programs described below are representative of the military's prevention efforts; future research will be needed to evaluate their utility.

Alcohol Use Policies

For many work organizations, an important strategy for minimizing alcohol problems among employees is the establishment and enforcement of workplace alcohol use policies. Such policies can help to change the characteristics of the workplace culture or other social environments that support heavy and binge drinking. The U.S. military adopted strict policies in the early 1980s with the aim of reducing rates of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use. These policies included components for detection, treatment and rehabilitation, and prevention. An analysis of survey data from 1980 to 1995 found lower rates of illicit drug use among military personnel relative to civilians, suggesting that the policies were effective in this regard. However, such differences were not found in the rates of alcohol use, especially when accounting for demographic changes in the military, suggesting that the substance use policies have not been effective in reducing alcohol use.

In another study, Bachman and colleagues compared changes in substance use rates among young military recruits before and 2 years after enlistment with changes in use rates among their civilian counterparts. Examining trends in these comparisons across two decades, the researchers found that rates of illicit drug use decreased more among the military recruits than among civilians, especially after the military implemented mandatory routine drug testing in 1980. Although the rates of heavy drinking also decreased over the past two decades for both military recruits and civilians, the researchers did not find sufficient differences in the rates to indicate that military alcohol policies have been particularly effective.

In contrast, Voas and colleagues reported findings on the positive effects of a specific policy change designed to reduce off-base alcohol use among young marines stationed near the Mexican border. Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, 67 miles from the Mexican border, were drawn to the bars in Mexico by inexpensive alcohol and a minimum drinking age of 18, and often returned to base on weekend nights with high blood alcohol contents. In response, commanders at Camp Pendleton adopted a policy that required marines to receive written permission to cross the border. After the policy was implemented, the number of underage marines returning across the Mexican border was reduced by 78 percent, and the number returning with BACs of 0.08 percent or higher was reduced by 84 percent. The authors note that several elements of the policy change may have contributed to the outcome. For example, marines applying for permission to cross the border received information warning of the possible problems involved, including the potential for disciplinary action. The fact that the new policy required more effort and planning by the young marines also may have served as a deterrent.

Alcohol Pricing

Research suggests that alcohol use and related problems are reduced when alcoholic beverage prices are increased. DOD policies, however, allow alcoholic beverages sold in military stores to be discounted below prices in local civilian stores. The DOD's Alcohol Abuse Prevention Strategic Plan states that alcoholic beverages in military stores should be priced at no more than 5 percent below the local competitive price, except in States with alcohol beverage control boards, where prices should be no more than 10 percent below the local competitive price. A 1997 review by the Office of the Inspector General found that these policies were used to set store prices and that patrons of military retail stores benefited from additional discounts because of the stores' exemption from sales tax. The review reported, for example, that the prices on beverages sold at a military retail store in one area ranged from 9 percent to 27 percent less than prices in State-operated alcohol stores. The authors concluded that the DOD's pricing policy was inconsistent with its policy for maintaining a healthy active-duty force, and they recommended that prices in military stores equal those charged in the commercial retail market.

Alcohol Use Deglamorization

All branches of the U.S. military have made efforts to deglamorize the use of alcohol, providing nonalcoholic beverages at functions where alcohol is served and emphasizing that alcohol use before or during work hours is unacceptable. The Navy's "Right Spirit" campaign calls for removing alcohol from traditional ceremonies, providing alternatives to drinking, recognizing the effects of alcohol use, and promoting personal responsibility concerning alcohol use. The Navy Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Program credits this campaign for a nearly 40-percent reduction in alcohol-related incidents (i.e., infractions in which alcohol played a role) from 1996 to 2000, and for a nearly 50-percent decline in arrests for driving under the influence.

About the Author

NIH is the nation's medical research agency - making important medical discoveries that improve health and save lives. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research.