It
is 2019, and you are in your living room following your favorite television
series when suddenly the regular programming is interrupted. The news anchor
apologizes for the interruption. It is a piece of breaking news. The
conventional red BREAKING NEWS label flashes at the bottom of the screen.
“…Police have reported a grisly accident along the Interstate-90 freeway. The
victims of the accident… an active duty member of the United States Navy and a
couple of other unidentified male adults. Our reporter at the scene has more
details. Before we go live to the scene, viewer discretion is advised. The
details of the scene are graphic. Over to my colleague at the scene for more
details and eye witness accounts…” You quickly reach for the remote and switch
of the television, knowing that you will not bear the live coverage of the
scene. Another service member fell
victim to the abuse of alcohol. Why do service members feel the need to
excessively drink?
You remember
your ex-soldier neighbor and many of your active-duty coworkers and colleagues
that have made their family's life a living hell because of heavy drinking. You
mumble a few cursing words, pick up your phone, go straight to your favorite
browser and key in words "Binge
drinking in the military." What you learn reveals to you the extent to
which the statistics on military drinking is such an ignored public health
issue and a threat to national security.
The issue of
binge drinking among the civilian population has been the subject of many research
studies, with many multidisciplinary efforts yielding some recommendations that
have been practically implemented. However, binge drinking in the military has
been ignored by researchers and the government. According to official
statistics, about 30 percent of all active-duty military personnel are heavy
drinkers (Meadows et al. 1). Contextually, the term heavy drinking refers to a situation where a person serving in the
army drinks 14 or more drinks per week in the case of males and seven or more bottles
for females. Thirty percent is a statistic sufficiently significant to warrant
more research and the quest for policy-based solutions to the issue, which has
manifested as a not only critical threat to national security and public
safety, but also a public health risk.
The
historical timeline of alcohol use in the military can be traced back to many
centuries ago and is projected to go on into the foreseeable future. Some of
the most significant world militaries, including the British Army, The Greek
Armies, the Romans, the Russian army, have an alcohol-tainted history. The
British East Indian Company was highly connected to the use of gin and tonic.
Initially, the gin and tonic were meant for medicinal purposes, being part of
the concoction that included quinine to fight malaria. In 1775, Winston
Churchill would acknowledge the centrality of alcohol use in the military,
arguing that the drink had saved more lives than all the medical Practitioners
in the entire empire (Haydn 125). During the First World War, research studies
indicated that the effects of military drinking had spilled over to the
civilian population, noting that more civilian women than men were visiting
bars and clubs. In 1915, Lloyd George would say, Britain is fighting Germans, Austrians, and Drink, and as far as I can
see, the greatest of these foes is Drink (Haydn 125). It
shows that drinking has been a public health and national security problem for
centuries; it is nothing new.
In the American
civil war, whiskey was a primary ingredient. Initially used as a stimulant by
the military personnel, the drink would later gain popularity as some sort of
pain reliever when injuries occurred (Wheeler and Lorri Glover 288). There are
numerous accounts of hospitals relying on the bottle as a stimulant for the
people in the in-patient department.
Writing
about her experiences as a matron serving military personnel in the American
Civil War, Phoebe Yates Pember of Chimborazo, a nurse from Richmond Virginia
says, if it is necessary to have a hero
for this matter-of-fact narrative, the whiskey barrel will have to step forward
and make his bow (Wheeler and Lorri Glover 303). She shows the centrality
of alcohol in the American Civil War, as both a stimulant and a pain-reliever.
History has it
that the Roman Army was heavily reliant on the vinegary drink is known as
Posca. Initially used for medicinal purposes, the drink was a concoction of
sour wine and an assortment of flavoring herbs to enhance the taste. The
alcohol that was intimately associated with the Roman military forced its way
into the Byzantine period. The relationship between the vinegary drink and the
Roman military is comparable to the connection between the Russian army and
vodka, a drink that would be known as Russian water during the Second World
War.
From
the brief history above, it is clear that the use of alcohol in the military
has many roots, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the need for a
stimulant and a pain reliever, and social and medicinal reasons (Ross et al.
55). Studies also indicate that the fact that a drinking environment surrounds
the military establishments explains the epidemic.
Describing
the effect of vodka in a 2002 letter, Russian writer Victor Erofeyev says, It seems to punch a hole directly into the
subconscious, setting off a range of odd gestures and facial expressions. Some
people wring their hands; some grin idiotically or snap their fingers; others
sink into sullen silence. But no one, high or low, is left indifferent. More
than by any political system, we are all held hostage by vodka. (Ross et
al. 56) This goes a long way to explain the importance of the drink to the
Russian soldier, not only to withstand the extreme weather conditions of Moscow
but also to unite them as a force. It subjects the citizenry to some slavery
due to dependency (Haydn 125).
Another social
effect of binge drinking in the military is rampant deaths among the military
personnel due to such cases as accidents attributed to drinking under the
influence (DUI). The DUI cases involving active-duty military personnel make up
a worrying statistic. Other causes of death associated with such drinking
include instances of homicide, broken families, and incarceration.
Incarceration has severe consequences, including fatherless or motherless
children in single-parent families. In addition to the overwhelming numbers of
deaths connected to military drinking, other health-related outcomes include
the diseases that are directly related to binge drinking.
Drinking in the
military creates a massive compromise of our preparedness for external
aggression. Basic knowledge has it that a person under the influence is not as
competent as a sober mind in terms of decision making and discretion. A
military establishment full of drunken men and women may not be sufficiently
prepared for an attack. This leaves the country's borders vulnerable and
creates a loophole for external aggression, something that may come with
devastating socio-economic and political repercussions. The innermost circles
affected by this pandemic are the soldiers themselves, their families, and
friends, as
well as the
entire sphere of the defense forces. However, because their role is to protect
and defend the Homeland, it is an issue that affects the whole nation.
Example 1.
As discussed
above, one of the social effects of military drinking is that it could get
people facing incarceration and some legal consequences, including fines.
Following the implementation of the No Treating Order, one of the earliest
legislative efforts against military drinking, many people faced different consequences.
On the 14th day of March
1916, The Morning Post reported.
At Southampton
yesterday, Robert Andrew Smith was fined for treating his wife to a glass of
wine in a local public-house (Haydn 125). He said his wife gave him sixpence to
pay for her drink. Mrs. Smith was also fined one pound for consuming, and
Dorothy Brown, the barmaid, five pounds for selling the intoxicant, contrary to
the regulations of the Liquor Control Board. (Haydn 124).
Example 2. On the 4th day of February
2019, the Navy Times reported a story where an American navy sailor, Petty
Officer 2nd Class Nathaniel Williams, drunken-walked into the home of a
Japanese couple and went on to the bathroom to take a shower (Simkins 2). The
homeowner, shocked and ready to defend his home, used violence against the
officer (Simkins 1). Such stories indicate some of the social effects of
military drinking on society. Solutions
The CDC report
indicated a worrying trend in the issue, with a third of the troops being
addicted to drinking. The detailed report also revealed a connection between
age and the tendency to indulge in drinking. People aged below 26 years, the
groups that make up about
46.7 percent of the entire active-duty workforce made up two thirds or
67.1 percent of all
binge episodes
(Stahre 208). 25.1 percent of the binging episodes were reported by underage
troops (17 to 20 years). Heavy drinkers, a category that made up 19.8 percent
of the respondents, accounted for 71.5 of the binge cases and exhibited the
highest yearly per capita at 112.6 binge episodes (Stahre 211). The report also
indicated that binge drinkers were more susceptible to drinking-related harms
than their non-binge drinking colleagues. The main adverse effects of the
pandemic include poor performance at work, DUI cases, and other problems with
the criminal justice system. The problem is prevalent across the forces, the
army, the airfare, the marines, the navy, and the coast guard as seen in figure 1 below.
Figure 1: Prevalence of
alcohol-related disorders among the active-duty component (CDC). To understand
the answers to the pandemic, we must appreciate the causes. First, the most
significant cause of military drinking is PTSD, which is considered a
consequence of exposure to extreme violence and death. The graph (Attachment A)
shows that over a third of veterans diagnosed with alcohol dependency disorder
has been diagnosed with PTSD. To address such rising cases of PTSD, the
government and other stakeholder communities should invest in a
multidisciplinary strategy to find a lasting solution to the pandemic. It is
worth noting that PTSD is a multidimensional mental disorder that would require a
multi-pronged
approach to solve (Stahre 217). Regarding PTSD, counseling and life coaching
would help in rehabilitating the veterans, at least in the psychological sense.
Counseling has been offered to affected people, especially in the post-war
period, but the emphasis has not been put on the multidisciplinary aspect.
The second
answer to binge drinking in the military would be a military-civilian
partnership to sponsor and support economic interventions. The prices of
alcoholic beverages sold at a military retail store range from 9 percent to 27
percent less than the prices of the same
product in a
State-operated store (Ahmed 221). Increases in alcohol prices and the
elimination of the traditional government subsidies on the drink have been
proven to work. Economic behaviorism explains that the pain associated with a
loss is more than proportionate compared to the pleasure in a gain of the same
magnitude. For instance, to increase the price of alcohol by X dollars would
evoke a negative response more impactful than the pleasure in reducing the cost
by X dollars. As such, price increases and withdrawal of subsidies is one of
the critical solutions to binge military drinking.
In her
dissertation, Sparks explains that there is a connection between the proximity
of military establishments to alcohol establishments and the rates of binge
drinking. The research found out that just like colleges, military bases have
quite several alcohol selling establishments in their neighborhoods. The
convenience with which the alcohol establishments are located motivates
military drinking. Policymakers should partner with the military and the public
to challenge the construction of such establishments around military bases and
facilities. This would be a part of reducing the alcohol outlets' density,
which would play a critical role in lowering military and civilian binge
drinking. This solution works because it denies people the convenience of
accessing alcohol. The conceptual model (Attachment B) shows that military
personnel alcohol consumption rates are higher than civilian rates (Stahre et
al. 28). This could be partially thanks to the price difference and
availability for military members.
Stress and
boredom also rank as factors contributing to high rates of military drinking.
Such is deeply rooted in military culture and lifestyle. A modification of the
ordinary,
routine-based life of the military personnel would be one of the most
effective approaches to changing the alcohol drinking status quo (Stahre et al.
22). The top military personnel should work hand in hand with multidisciplinary
teams from the civilian population towards creating a lifestyle and
culture that would discourage drinking for both the active duty and veteran
military personnel. Finding ways of entertaining the troops and keeping them
busy would be a good goal for the multidisciplinary team working in partnership
with the civilian population.
Command
disapproval of the abuse of alcohol would be the most effective solution
because going against the military code comes with severe consequences. It is
part of the systemic approach that would encourage non-alcoholism in the
military. Going against the military order is one of the things that any member
of the forces dreads. The main reason why this approach works is that its
consequences are practical deterrent tools. The graph (Attachment
C) displays a
correlation between binge lower drinking rates corresponding with higher
command discouragement of alcohol use (Meadows et al. 1).
Despite these
measures, a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
indicates that the problem of binge drinking continues to increase in the
present times, and if no measures are put in place, the problem will continue
to rise in the coming years. With one in every three members of the defense
forces being a binge drinker, there is sufficient reason to worry (Meadows et
al. 1). The graph (Attachment D) shows that active duty service members’ use of
alcohol and binge drinking has substantially increased over the years (Valeriia
1). The present gaps in the academic underpinnings around the topic of binge
drinking are an indication of the need for further research into the core
causes of the problem and to come up with recommendations on how policy changes
could introduce systemic solutions to the current issue.
Camus's view is
one that tried to examine the human experience from an objective point. The
anarchist and atheist French poet and philosopher known for his theory of
absurdity, which suggests that it
is pointless trying to pursue happiness through the order and the quest to
understand the meaning of life. He argues that it is pointless trying to make
the meaning of a universe that does not allow you to understand it. The world,
in his view, is an unpredictable natural order and that ‘whatever will happen will
happen' (a translation of his slogan, Que
sera sera) (Ahmed 111). He argues that the natural order has a way of
establishing humans as equals. In his writings, such as The Plague, he explores the issue of some natural phenomena that
render all men equal. For instance, the plague of the Black Death killed
millions of people in medieval England. He finds no sense in trying to blame
such happenings on a god he believes does not exist.
About the social
pandemic of binge drinking in the military, Camus, who is opposed to the idea
of order and regulations, would disapprove of the efforts to have the drinking
regulations instituted. For he believes in Que
sera sera, the French philosopher would not have been bothered by the idea
that drinking among the military personnel would significantly compromise the
country's preparedness for such disasters as external aggression. He would
maintain that there is no necessity in trying to reduce the amount of drinking.
Being an anarchist, Camus would expectedly support a free social environment
where people live and let live, for whatever will happen will happen. The
pandemic of binge drinking in the US military would lead to disastrous events
such as the deaths of the people involved. For Camus, such deaths could not be
blamed on the binge drinking, for the natural world has its way of causing
things to happen, and that the human experience is a brief journey through an
incomprehensible universe.
In conclusion,
the severity of the problem of binge drinking in the military is a gap
significant enough to warrant research, mainly because it is an issue that
poses as a threat to the security
of the nation
and also a public health concern. In reality, binge drinking has a multiplicity
of adverse social effects, including death, broken families, poor health, and
compromised national safety. Some of the suggested and practical solutions
include guidance and counseling, policy modifications, command prohibiting
measures, and legal actions. Even with such measures being implemented, the
problem persists. A mission to find valid answers and policy-based systemic
solutions will be the beginning of the journey to save thousands of lives,
improve the overall public health standing, and enhance our readiness for external
aggression.
Works
Cited
Ahmed, Saladdin. Totalitarian
Space and the Destruction of Aura. , 2019. Print.
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Binge
Drinking in the Military, 2009. Online Source
Haydn, Terry.
Using New Technologies to Enhance
Teaching and Learning in History, 2013.
Print
Meadows,
Sarah O., Charles C. Engel, Rebecca L. Collins, Robin L. Beckman, Matthew
Cefalu, Jennifer Hawes-Dawson, Molly Doyle, Amii M. Kress, Lisa Sontag-Padilla,
Rajeev Ramchand, and Kayla M. Williams, 2015 Health-Related Behaviors Survey: Substance Use Among U.S. Active-Duty
Service Members. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2018. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9955z7.html.
Ross, Harold W, William Shawn, Tina Brown, David Remnick, Katharine S. A.
White, E B. White, Rea Irvin, and Roger Angell. The New Yorker. , 1925. Print.
Simkins,
J.D. Drunk Sailor Trespasses, gets naked,
showers in couple's home at 5 am because of Atsugi. Nay Times, Feb4, 2019.
Online Source
Sparks,
Alicia Carroll. Risky Business: An
Exploration of Alcohol Risk Environments Surrounding Military Installations in
the United States. Diss. Johns Hopkins University, 2016.
Stahre, Mandy A., et al. "Binge drinking among US active-duty
military personnel."
American
journal of preventive medicine 36.3 (2009): 208-217.
Valeriia. “Alcoholism in
Military: Why Servicemen and Veterans Abuse Alcohol.”
AlcoRehab.org, AlcoRehab, 16 May 2019,
alcorehab.org/veterans-alcohol-abuse/.
Wheeler,
William B, and Lorri Glover. Discovering
the American Past: A Look at the Evidence. , 2017. Print.
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