Drug abuse in the military forces – What is not known to the public

These are our men and women entrusted with securing our boarders. we have a duty to protect them from drug addiction for them to protect us effectively.

When defining drug addiction you will probably include in your definition the fact that addiction does not discriminate on personality or status or otherwise, this is very true and practical. The effects of drug abuse in our military forces has not been a topic of discussion the public for a very long time but his does not mean that the men and women in uniform do not suffer from the scourge of drug addiction. It may be true that the rate of illicit drug abuse may be lower among the military personnel compared to the civilians, but studies reveals that excessive use of alcohol and cigarette smoking are more dominant with the military forces compared to the civilian.

The kind of life lived in the confinement of barracks is that of forced respect to the superiors. It is forced because in most cases the rules require the officers to give a “yes sir” response irrespective of whether this is the correct response to be given. We all know that respect is earned and never forced on anyone. Again this trend normally causes stress to the officers who have no say whenever they are being deployed during wartime. Zero-tolerance policies and stigma pose difficulties in detecting and treating substance use problems in military personnel this is also compounded by lack of confidentiality which discourages many who may require treatment from pursuing it.

Those with multiple deployments and combat exposure are at greatest risk of developing substance use problems. They are more apt to engage in new-onset heavy weekly drinking and binge drinking, to suffer alcohol- and other drug-related problems, and to have greater prescribed use of behavioral health medications. They are also more likely to start smoking or relapse to smoking.

Illegal and Prescription Drugs

The question of drug abuse in the forces much as it is real it has not been very much rampant compared to the abuse among the civilians. The use of illicit drugs has been very minimal mainly because of the strict adherence to the zero tolerance rule for drug use among the department of Defense (DoD) this is according to the studies conducted by DoD. This decrease has been on the decline since this rule was first introduced about two decades ago. This zero tolerance policy is at the moment being applied without notice to the soldiers by running frequent tests on the soldiers. The consequences of testing positive to any illicit substance are very stern and the soldiers found positive can be unceremoniously be dismissed from the force besides being prosecuted in the court of law.

It is also interesting to note that despite efforts made to contain the use of illegal substances in the forces the same has not been properly done to the abuse of prescription drugs which statistics has revealed to be on the increase and is being abused almost on a willing basis and in relation to the civilian population. The same report of DoD indicated that misuse of prescription drugs in the forces went up progressively from just 2% in the year 2002 to 11% in 2008 that is a hooping 9% increase with opioid pain medications being misused the most by the service members.

This great misuse is attributed to the fact that these drugs are easily available and are commonly prescribed to them from time to time for pain relieving reasons. The urge to using the pain relieving prescription drugs is necessitated by the fact that service men normally attain injuries in the line of duty and are consistently straining as a result of bearing the burden of carrying heavy equipment during multiple deployments rendering them to have consistent body aches.

Drinking and Smoking

The men and women in uniform are also rooted in the use of alcohol and cigarette smoking as compared to the civilian population. Studies established that close to half of active duty service members (that is about 47%) reported binge drinking. This behavior is common especially with those service men and women with high combat exposer.

Suicides and Substance Use

Suicide rates in the military were traditionally lower than among civilians in the same age range, but in 2004 the suicide rate in the U.S. Army began to climb, surpassing the civilian rate in 2008. Substance use is involved in many of these suicides. The 2010 report of the Army Suicide Prevention Task Force found that 29 percent of active duty Army suicides from fiscal year (FY) 2005 to FY 2009 involved alcohol or drug use; and in 2009, prescription drugs were involved in almost one third of them.

Addressing the Problem

There can never be a problem without a solution. From our discussion it is evident that drugs abuse is alive and kicking within the forces. Finding solutions must be prioritized to keep our states safe because we all know what addiction can do to our lives and especially if the victim is one entrusted with the protection of lives of many defenseless citizens. Therefore it is important that:

• The authorities must ensure that proper investigations is done and adopt increasing the use of evidence-based prevention and treatment interventions and expanding access to care.
• There is need to broadening insurance coverage to include effective outpatient treatments and better equipping healthcare providers to recognize and screen for substance use problems so they can refer patients to appropriate, evidence-based treatment when needed.
• It is also necessary that measures be taken towards limiting access to alcohol on bases.
• It is also important that in addressing substance use in the military there is need to ensure patient/individuals confidentiality and shifting a cultural climate in which drug problems are stigmatized and evoke fear in people suffering from them.
• Proper controls must be put in place limiting the duration of prescriptions for opioid pain relievers to 6 months and having a pharmacist monitor soldier’s medications when multiple prescriptions are being used

Finally doing all these are very necessary however it must be known that substance abuse is a medical condition which needs medical solution. Seeking the services of an experience medical doctor is very important. A visit at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a medical facility founded by Doctor Akoury is the best place you can be when addiction knock your door. At this facility doctor Akoury together with her experience team of experts will not help your condition get better but they will also focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. This is the place you need to be for ant addiction related problem and you will have your life back in and with the real addiction professionals.

Drug abuse in the military forces – What is not known to the public