The Never Ending War; Military Veterans and
the Effects of Alcohol on Their Lives
Jimmy Nazario
Alcohol in U. S. Society
Abstract
Alcohol consumption is a common and sometimes even patriot behavior among U.S. adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013), 51.5% of U.S. adults have had twelve drinks or less during the year of 2012. However there are patriots who during, or after their tour of duty, become prisoners in their own personal war with alcohol. This study aims to shed light on the causes that lead Military Veterans to abuse alcohol use and what are the difficulties associated with this problem. The study will also explore how Veteran alcohol consumption compares to U.S. civilians and what resources are available for treatment and rehabilitation.
Introduction
Our Military Veterans have endured bombs, bullets, heat, cold, and many other hardships while serving to protect the country they love. Alert and vigilant they stand watch as sentinels of America’s freedom, yet there lies a subtle enemy which is rarely seen and is often times welcomed with open arms into their ranks. The Army alone has already spent $51 million for the fiscal year 2008 trying to deal with this faceless foe (NCADD, 2013). The adversary is alcohol abuse, and this paper will discuss how our Military Veterans become dependent on alcohol and what are the difficulties they face when afflicted with alcoholism.
Veterans are deal with unique circumstances that can increase the chances of them becoming entangled with alcohol. Constant combat exposure can lead to PTSD, lengthy deployments strain the family and can produce significant amounts of stress, and the Military Culture continues to reinforce the false values of alcohol use in the name of comradery.
In comparison to the civilian population Veterans are consuming larger amounts of alcohol as described by Ames & Cunradi (n.d.), displaying data that reports 27.3% of Military Veterans are...
