American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Volume 36, Issue 3 , Pages 208-217 , March 2009

Binge Drinking Among U.S. Active-Duty Military Personnel

  • Mandy A. Stahre, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Alcohol Team, Emerging Investigations and Analytic Methods Branch, Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence and reprint requests to: Mandy A. Stahre, MPH, CDC/Alcohol Team, c/o University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, 1300 S. Second Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis MN 55454-1015
  • ,
  • Robert D. Brewer, MD, MSPH

      Affiliations

    • Alcohol Team, Emerging Investigations and Analytic Methods Branch, Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia
  • ,
  • Vincent P. Fonseca, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas
  • ,
  • Timothy S. Naimi, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Alcohol Team, Emerging Investigations and Analytic Methods Branch, Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia

References 

  1. Mokdad AH, Marks JS, Stroup DF, Gerberding JL. Actual causes of death in the U.S., 2000. JAMA. 2004;291:1238–1245
  2. Wechsler H, Dowdall GW, Davenport A, Rimm EB. A gender-specific measure of binge drinking among college students. Am J Public Health. 1995;85:982–985
  3. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. NIAAA council approves definition of binge drinking. NIAAA Newsletter. 2004;3:3;Vol Publication No. 04-5346
  4. Naimi TS, Brewer RD, Mokdad AH, Denny C, Serdula M, Marks JS. Binge drinking among U.S. adults. JAMA. 2003;289:70–75
  5. Mann RE, Zalcman RF, Rush BR, Smart RG, Rhodes AE. Alcohol factors in suicide mortality rates in Manitoba. Can J Psychiatry. 2008;53:243–251
  6. Davis L, Uezato A, Newell JM, Frazier E. Major depression and comorbid substance use disorders. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2008;21:14–18
  7. Schaffer M, Jeglic EL, Stanley B. The relationship between suicidal behavior, ideation, and binge drinking among college students. Arch Suicide Res. 2008;12:124–132
  8. USDHHS. 10th special report to the U.S. Congress on alcohol and health. Washington DC: USDHHS; 2000;
  9. Fisher C, Hoffman K, Austin-Lance J, Kao T. The relationship between heavy alcohol use and work productivity loss in active duty military personnel: a secondary analysis of the 1995 Department of Defense Worldwide Survey. Mil Med. 2000;165:355–361
  10. Smith GS, Branas CC, Miller TR. Fatal nontraffic injuries involving alcohol: a metaanalysis. Ann Emerg Med. 1999;33:659–668
  11. English DR, Holman CDJ, Milne E, et al. The quantification of drug caused morbidity and mortality in Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth Department of Human Services and Health; 1995;
  12. Naimi TS, Lipscomb LE, Brewer RD, Gilbert BC. Binge drinking in the preconception period and the risk of unintended pregnancy: implications for women and their children. Pediatrics. 2003;111:1136–1141
  13. Cook RL, Clark DB. Is there an association between alcohol consumption and sexually transmitted diseases? (A systematic review). Sex Transm Dis. 2005;32:156–164
  14. Bryant CD. Olive-drab drunks and GI junkies: alcohol and narcotic addiction in the U.S. military. In:  Bryant CD editors. Deviant behavior: occupational and organizational bases. Chicago: Rand McNally; 1974;
  15. Holcomb JF. Alcohol and the armed forces. Alcohol Health Res World. 1981;82:2–17
  16. Burt MR. Prevalence and consequences of alcohol use among U.S. military personnel, 1980. J Stud Alcohol. 1982;43:1097–1107
  17. Bray RM, Marsden ME, Peterson MR. Standardized comparisons of the use of alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes among military personnel and civilians. Am J Public Health. 1991;81:865–869
  18. Bray RM, Marsden ME, Mazzuchi JF, Hartman RW. Prevention in the Military. In:  Ammerman RT editors. Prevention and societal impact of drug and alcohol abuse. Mahwah NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 1999;
  19. Zadoo V, Fengler S. The effects of alcohol and tobacco use on troop readiness. Mil Med. 1993;158:480–484
  20. James JJ, Dargon D, Day RG. Serum vs breath alcohol levels and accidental injury: analysis among U.S. Army personnel in an emergency room setting. Mil Med. 1984;149:369–374
  21. Lesher S, Lee Y. Acute pancreatitis in a military hospital. Mil Med. 1989;154:559–564
  22. Bell NS, Amoroso PJ, Yore MM, Smith GS, Jones BH. Self-reported risk-taking behaviors and hospitalization for motor-vehicle injury among active duty Army personnel. Am J Prev Med. 2000;18(3S):85–95
  23. Helmkamp J, Kennedy R. National mortality profile of active duty personnel in the U.S. Armed Forces: 1980–1993. Atlanta GA: CDC; 1996;
  24. Stout RW, Parkinson MD, Wolfe WH. Alcohol-related mortality in the U.S. Air Force, 1990. Am J Prev Med. 1993;9:220–223
  25. Ames GM, Cunradi CB, Moore RS. Military culture and drinking behavior among U.S. Navy careerists. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2007;68:336–344
  26. Dall TM, Zhang Y, Chen YJ, et al. Cost associated with being overweight and with obesity, high alcohol consumption, and tobacco use within the military health system's TRICARE prime-enrolled population. Am J Health Promot. 2007;22:120–139
  27. Bray RM, Kroutil LA, Marsden ME. Trends in alcohol, illicit drug, and cigarette use among U.S. military personnel: 1980–1992. Armed Forces Soc. 1995;21:271–293
  28. Bray RM, Bae KH, Federman EB, Wheeless SC. Regional differences in alcohol use among U.S. military personnel. J Stud Alcohol. 2005;66:229–238
  29. Bray RM, Hourani L, Rae K, et al. 2002 Department of defense survey of health related behaviors among military personnel. Research Triangle Park NC: Research Triangle Institute; 2003;RTI/7841/006-FR
  30. Dawson D. Methodological issues in measuring alcohol use. Alcohol Res Health. 2003;27:18–29
  31. Wechsler H, Lee JE, Kuo M, Seibring M, Nelson TF, Lee H. Trends in college binge drinking during a period of increased prevention efforts (Findings from 4 Harvard School of Public Health college alcohol study surveys: 1993–2001). J Am Coll Health. 2002;50:203–217
  32. Miller JW, Naimi TS, Brewer RD, Jones SE. Binge drinking and associated health risk behaviors among high school students. Pediatrics. 2007;119:76–85
  33. Tsai J, Floyd RL, Bertrand J. Tracking binge drinking among U.S. childbearing-age women. Prev Med. 2007;44:298–302
  34. U.S. General Accounting Office. Military personnel: active duty benefits reflect changing demographics, but opportunities exist to improve. Washington DC: The Office; 2002;GAO-02-935
  35. Clark JB, Holt VL, Miser F. Unintended pregnancy among female soldiers presenting for prenatal care at Madigan Army Medical Center. Mil Med. 1998;163:444–448
  36. Robbins AS, Chao SY, Frost LZ, Fonseca VP. Unplanned pregnancy among active duty servicewomen, U.S. Air Force, 2001. Mil Med. 2005;170:38–43
  37. Floyd RL, O'Connor MJ, Sokol RJ, Bertrand J, Cordero JF. Recognition and prevention of fetal alcohol syndrome. Obstet Gynecol. 2005;106:1059–1064
  38. Floyd RL, Sobell M, Velasquez MM, et al. Preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Am J Prev Med. 2007;32:1–10
  39. Wechsler H, Nelson TF. Binge drinking and the American college student: what's five drinks?. Psychol Addict Behav. 2001;15:287–291
  40. Wechsler H, Nelson TF. Relationship between level of consumption and harms in assessing drink cut-points for alcohol research. Alcohol Clin Exper Res. 2006;30:922–927
  41. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Helping patients who drink too much. Rockville MD: NIH; 2005;
  42. Yesavage JA, Leirer VO. Hangover effects on aircraft pilots 14 hours after alcohol ingestion: a preliminary report. Am J Psychiatry. 1986;143:1546–1550
  43. Bell NS, Harford T, McCarroll JE, Senier L. Drinking and spouse abuse among U.S. army soldiers. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2004;28:1890–1897
  44. von Zielbaur P. For U.S.troops at war, liquor is spur to crime. The New York Times. 2007;March 13 www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/world/middleeast/13alcohol.html?ex=1331438400&en=4feaded77662cc8e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
  45. Dawson D. Gender differences in the risk of alcohol dependence. U.S. Addiction. 1996;91:1831–1842
  46. Jennison KM. The short-term effects of unintended long-term consequences of binge drinking in college: a 10-year follow-up study. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2004;30:659–684
  47. Vaillant GE. A 60-year follow-up of alcoholic men. Addiction. 2003;98:1043–1051
  48. Alanko T. An overview of techniques and problems in the measurement of alcohol consumption. Res Adv Alcohol Drug Probl. 1984;8:209–226
  49. Lemmens P, Tan E, Knibbe R. Measuring quantity and frequency of drinking in a general population survey: a comparison of five indices. J Stud Alcohol. 1992;53:476–486
  50. CDC. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System: data quality report handbook. 2004;www.cdc.gov/brfss/technical_infodata/pdf/2004DQRHandbook.pdf
  51. Wechsler H, Moeykens B, Davenport A, Castillo S, Hansen J. The adverse impact of heavy episodic drinkers on other college students. J Stud Alcohol. 1995;56:628–634
  52. Wechsler H, Lee JE, Hall J, Wagenaar AC, Lee H. Secondhand effects of student alcohol use reported by neighbors of colleges: the role of alcohol outlets. Soc Sci Med. 2002;55:425–435
  53. Bray RM, Hourani L. Substance use trends among active duty military personnel: findings from the U.S. Department of Defense health related behavior surveys, 1980–2005. Addiction. 2007;102:1092–1101
  54. Klesges RC, Haddock CK, Lando H, Talcott GW. Efficacy of forced smoking cessation and an adjunctive behavioral treatment on long-term smoking rates. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1999;67:952–958
  55. Woodruff SI, Conway TL, Edwards CC. Effect of an eight week smoking ban on women at U.S. Navy recruit training command. Tob Control. 2000;9:40–46
  56. Polich JM, Orvis BR. Alcohol problems: patterns and prevalence in the U.S. Air Force. Santa Monica CA: RAND; 1979;R-2308-AF
  57. Federman EB, Bray RM, Kroutil LA. Relationships between substance use and recent deployments among women and men in the military. Mil Psychol. 2000;12:205–220
  58. Stagliano RF, Richards JD, Kuehr W, Deal CE. Operation Desert Shield/Storm performance of soldiers enrolled in the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Program. Mil Med. 1995;160:631–635
  59. Kolb D, Coben P, Heckman NA. Patterns of drinking and AA attendance following alcohol rehabilitation. Mil Med. 1981;146:200–204
  60. Voas RB, Johnson M, Lange J. Permission to cross the border: effective policy reduces high-risk drinking by marines. J Stud Alcohol. 2002;63:645–648
  61. U.S. Air Force. Concept of operations (CONOPS): establishing a culture of responsible choices (CoRC). 2006;U.S. Department of Defense www.afcrossroads.com/websites/corc_docs/CoRC_CONOPS_Feb_2006.pdf
  62. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. Reducing underage drinking: a collective responsibility. In:  Bonnie RJ,  O'Connell ME editor. Committee on developing a strategy to reduce and prevent underage drinking. Washington DC: The National Academies Press; 2004;Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
  63. Babor T, Caetano R, Casswell S, et al. Alcohol: no ordinary commodity. A summary of the book. Addiction. 2003;98:1343–1350
  64. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse: recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:554–556

 At the time the research was completed, Fonseca was at the Population Health Support Division, Air Force Medical Support Agency, U.S. Air Force, Brooks City-Base, San Antonio, Texas.

PII: S0749-3797(08)00969-0

doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2008.10.017

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Volume 36, Issue 3 , Pages 208-217 , March 2009