Shifting the Burden/Addiction: Soldiers Addicted to Drugs/Alcohol

A growing concern in the United States military (and the military of several allies, such as Canada) is the addiction to drugs and alcohol of its soldiers during and after combat tours. This problem is nothing new to the military – there are tales of “the Soldiers Disease” in the Civil War (soldiers addicted to morphine), black-and-white pictures of celebrities handing out cigarettes to Allied fighters in the World Wars, and the near-ubiquitous stereotype of the drunk, depressed Vietnam War veteran in movies and T.V. The United States is now seeing an increase in soldiers turning to illicit substances and alcohol to wash away Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS) and a host of other troubles when they return from Iraq and Afghanistan.

A country should certainly take care of its warriors. They are people, after all, with families, lives, and human needs. They cannot be iron-men and -women all the time as they are when they are fighting for us half a world away. However, the fact presents itself that addiction to drugs and alcohol by soldiers is more than just a health concern. Many soldiers that have substance abuse problems are in between tours or, worse, in the middle of tours. If the problem is not reduced it could lead to a decrease in the reputation of the U.S. military (which could hurt international politics abroad and recruiting at home) and decrease in overall military effectiveness.

As demonstrated in the casual loop diagram shown below, soldiers look to drugs and alcohol to alleviate the physical and psychological problems that come with fighting in wars. The temporary relief they feel makes them less likely to seek true, fundamental help, such as they would get with professional counseling or a doctor-prescribed medicinal routine. The trouble is that this behavior does not get to the root of the problem, eventually increasing the size of the depression, pain, and terror and making the soldier more likely to abuse substances because it brings fast relief (loop R1). Alcohol and drug use only increases the problem (B1), but soldiers could break their addiction by utilizing more fundamental fixes that decrease the magnitude of the problem and encourage more efforts at a more fundamental fix (B2).

The situation seems as though it will continue to increase over the next few years. A 2002 study of 2,500 men stated what may seem obvious – men who are exposed to combat are more likely to “become dependent on alcohol and other drugs than civilians” (jointogether.org). Dr. Ian McFarling, Acting Director of the Army Center for Substance Abuse Programs, asserted in 2007 that the Army did not have a drug and alcohol problem, and that “less than one half of one percent of soldiers in Iraq have tested positive for illegal drugs” (military.com). Many soldiers, like Specialist Alan Hartmann of Fort Carson (Colorado), believe this is outright denial by Army leadership. Hartmann describes a Fort Carson which is plagued by soldiers getting drunk and high when they return from “the sandbox”, so that they can forget their troubles, and explicitly remembers many soldiers taking drugs in Middle East bases (military.com).

Whatever the true statistics are, helping soldiers fight off addictions is a battle worth having – it makes them healthier and happier, proves the U.S. takes care of its own, and increases the battle-readiness of its forces. The U.S. should look to increase counseling programs for soldiers, although it has to be admitted that the U.S. healthcare system is already in a tough spot. Canada is making a concerted effort to help its troops, attempting to increase the number of clinics, after the military mental-health establishment was greatly diminished following budget cuts in the 1990’s. In 2007, Canada saw a 300% increase in soldiers referred for addiction treatment (CBCNews.ca). Like Canada, the U.S. should try to “move heaven and earth to increase the number of mental health professionals” (CBCNews.ca).

Sources:

CBCNews.ca. “Rising number of soliders treated for addictions”. CBCNews.ca. September 28, 2007. Available online http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/09/28/soldiers-addictions.html.

JoinTogether.org. “Soldiers at Risk for Alcohol, Other Drug Addiction”. JoinTogether.org. January 9, 2002. Available online http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2002/soldiers-at-risk-for-alcohol.html.

Lewis, McCarthy. “War Vets Fighting Addiction”. Military.com. November 26, 2007. Available online http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,156956,00.html.