Alcohol use in the Army: patterns and associated behaviors

The authors assessed by questionnaire the alcohol use of 1,873 U.S. soldiers in the United States and Viet Nam. According to operational definitions based on total ethyl alcohol consumption and several behaviors associated with drinking, 7 percent were classed as alcoholics, 5 percent as borderline alcoholics, and 24 percent as potential alcoholics. Contrary to popular stereotypes, there was a disproportionate number of younger and lower ranking soldiers in these three groups; there was also a positive relationship between drinking and use of illicit drugs across groups. The authors state that future studies of alcohol use should include determinations of total ethyl alcohol intake to permit generalizability of their results.