Military Substance-Abuse Programs Critiqued by Panel
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The U.S. military’s approach to treating alcohol and substance abuse is outmoded, according to an Institute of Medicine report citing data showing prescription drug misuse is surging and heavy drinking is common.
Roughly 20 percent of active-duty service members reported heavy drinking in 2008, the latest year for which data was available, according to the report released yesterday, while about 47 percent reported binge drinking. In addition, 11 percent of those on active duty misused prescription drugs in 2008 versus just 2 percent in 2002, according to the findings.