Running head: ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE IN THE MILITARY 13 Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the Military 24 April 2017 Effects of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the Military Just like the rest of the society, members of the armed forces are not immune to alcohol and substance abuse challenges. Despite the fact that illicit abuse of alcohol and drugs is lower among the military personnel of the United States than among the civilian population, heavy tobacco and alcohol use, and especially the abuse of prescription drugs are highly prevalent and are ever on the rise (Kelsall, Wijesinghe, Creamer, McKenzie, Forbes, Page, & Sim, 2015). The unique culture of the military and the stresses of deployment during the times of war account for a majority of these concerns and differences. Stigma and zero tolerance policies pose challenges in identification and treatment of substance use challenges in the military personnel, the same is true for lack of confidentiality, which deters several armed officers who require treatment from seeking it. Alcohol and drug abuse in the military has tremendous consequences on the lives of military personnel, there is an increasing number of service men and women abusing alcohol and drugs, excessive abuse has led to health problems such as mental disorders as well as stress and depression, it interferes with their ability to perform in their daily functions as a Soldier, You cannot prevent Soldiers from using alcohol or drugs but you can implement measures to discourage the use. Overcoming Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the Military Causes of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Several causes attribute to the excessive use of alcohol and drugs in the military, most of which are associated with the line of duty. In the military, time for service men and women to enjoy themselves is very limited. In some settings, like in civilian work cycles, people can have time off to be involved in fun and happy moments, where they lose themselves and shred away the work-stress. However, the situation can be different in the military. Most of the reasons why military personnel find themselves overindulging in drugs and alcohol are beyond their life choices but rather the work-life. Three causes are frequent: stress and depression, culture and perception of the military, and boredom and isolation. Stress and Depression Stress and depression is common in military personnel. Stress comes in through different avenues. Firstly, the separation for service men and women from their families, children, and friends is a great contributor of stress (Ahmadi, Karambakhsh, Mehrazmay, Salesi, & NajafiManesh, 2014). In some cases, military personnel can be away from the family for over a year, probably in a war zone such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and parts of Africa. The distance between them and their families creates a form of loneliness that contributes to stress and depression (Bray, Marsden, Herbold, & Peterson, 2012). If not checked, the stress and ...

1. Running head: ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE IN THE
MILITARY 13
Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the Military
24 April 2017
Effects of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the Military
Just like the rest of the society, members of the armed forces
are not immune to alcohol and substance abuse challenges.
Despite the fact that illicit abuse of alcohol and drugs is lower
among the military personnel of the United States than among
the civilian population, heavy tobacco and alcohol use, and
especially the abuse of prescription drugs are highly prevalent
and are ever on the rise (Kelsall, Wijesinghe, Creamer,
McKenzie, Forbes, Page, & Sim, 2015). The unique culture of
the military and the stresses of deployment during the times of
war account for a majority of these concerns and differences.
Stigma and zero tolerance policies pose challenges in

2. identification and treatment of substance use challenges in the
military personnel, the same is true for lack of confidentiality,
which deters several armed officers who require treatment from
seeking it. Alcohol and drug abuse in the military has
tremendous consequences on the lives of military personnel,
there is an increasing number of service men and women
abusing alcohol and drugs, excessive abuse has led to health
problems such as mental disorders as well as stress and
depression, it interferes with their ability to perform in their
daily functions as a Soldier, You cannot prevent Soldiers from
using alcohol or drugs but you can implement measures to
discourage the use.
Overcoming Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the Military
Causes of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Several causes attribute to the excessive use of alcohol and
drugs in the military, most of which are associated with the line
of duty. In the military, time for service men and women to
enjoy themselves is very limited. In some settings, like in
civilian work cycles, people can have time off to be involved in
fun and happy moments, where they lose themselves and shred
away the work-stress. However, the situation can be different
in the military. Most of the reasons why military personnel find
themselves overindulging in drugs and alcohol are beyond their
life choices but rather the work-life. Three causes are frequent:
stress and depression, culture and perception of the military,
and boredom and isolation.
Stress and Depression
Stress and depression is common in military personnel. Stress
comes in through different avenues. Firstly, the separation for
service men and women from their families, children, and
friends is a great contributor of stress (Ahmadi, Karambakhsh,
Mehrazmay, Salesi, & NajafiManesh, 2014). In some cases,
military personnel can be away from the family for over a year,
probably in a war zone such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and parts of
Africa. The distance between them and their families creates a
form of loneliness that contributes to stress and depression

3. (Bray, Marsden, Herbold, & Peterson, 2012). If not checked,
the stress and depression can plunge them into alcohol and drug
abuse to help them forget the challenges of being alone in a
foreign land.
Families play a major role in motivating service men and
women to protect the borders of the United States and fight for
the country. The feeling of having a supportive family
supporting you and having your back is a great motivation to
pursue greater levels for the country in terms of self service,
and in some cases self-sacrifice (Bray, Marsden, Herbold, &
Peterson, 2012). When taking an oath to serve, the military
personnel promise to be willing and ready to deploy at any time
in any part of the country or even the world.
However, the reality of deploying in war-torn areas is a
different experience. Some men and women in the military
have served for long periods of time but closer to their families.
When a sudden shift or deployment happens, the separation and
distance can be unbearable and hence they start thinking a lot, a
factor which largely contributes to stress and depression
(Ahmadi, Karambakhsh, Mehrazmay, Salesi, & NajafiManesh,
2014). Because of the distance and time away from each other,
some military men have lost their wives and families through
divorce, while some women have lost their husbands who are
unwilling to wait.
The stress that comes with divorce is unbearable especially if
they know that they are not responsible for the separation
(Ahmadi, Karambakhsh, Mehrazmay, Salesi, & NajafiManesh,
2014). There are service men and women who have devoted
their lives and time to the Army because they lost their spouses
and families through divorce or separation (Ahmadi,
Karambakhsh, Mehrazmay, Salesi, & NajafiManesh, 2014). The
feeling of the possibility of your spouse cheating or the feeling
of leaving your spouse alone for a whole year can be
traumatizing. The second stressor that would contribute to
abuse of drugs and alcohol is combat and constant exposure to
war.

4. The stress of combat for the military troops deployed to war
zones is dangerous for their psychological and mental health.
The sight of dead people especially comrades, the flashbacks of
the war, and the terrible situations of the war areas can be major
stressors for military personnel (Ahmadi, Karambakhsh,
Mehrazmay, Salesi, & NajafiManesh, 2014). To avoid the
impact and consequences of these sights or the stress from
combat, most service men and women resolve to overindulgence
in prescription drugs, marijuana, alcohol and other hard drugs
such as heroin and cocaine.
Culture and Perception of the Military
The culture and the perception of the military is a great
contributor to the excessive and abuse of drugs in the military.
The culture of the military is its unique leadership, structure,
mission, and tradition of the military history. Additionally, the
culture of the armed forces maintains distinct subcategories of
cultures that have undocumented set of operating procedures,
perceptive, viewpoints, and rules (Bergen-Cico, 2015). The
reason the perspective and culture of the military contribute to
alcohol and drug abuse is the uniqueness of the military culture.
The culture of the military is different from any other job or
career, and the demands of the armed forces can create unique
set of challenges and pressures on the service members and
their families that drive people to drug abuse and overusing
alcohol to feel normal, or to numb the terrible feelings (Bergen-
Cico, 2015). The tenacity of the military culture can be
overwhelming and extremely challenging to service men and
women, especially those still having gaps in the psychological
training and preparedness for what is coming.
The military personnel are used to performing their roles and
duties in less than good or perfect conditions and situations
(Allen, & Mazzuchi, 2015). In most situations, they perform
under pressure and in difficult situations that put a lot of weight
on their ability to deliver as young men and women. The

5. demanding nature of the culture (Ahmadi, Karambakhsh,
Mehrazmay, Salesi, & NajafiManesh, 2014), and the perception
of the military personnel can drive troops to using drugs and
alcohol sometimes to forget the reality.
Boredom and Isolation
Boredom and isolation is common in the military, especially
after deployment. Missions send military troops to different
regions and countries of the world where they are all alone
(Ahmadi, Karambakhsh, Mehrazmay, Salesi, & NajafiManesh,
2014). They are isolated from their families, their friends, their
spouses, and everyone else close to them. In some rare
circumstances, the service men and women live only in teams of
two or three, and may only meet during parades, joint
operations, or instructional training.
Much of daily life for military personnel is undemanding and
highly repetitive. Accommodation is often impersonal, the
lifestyle is highly restricted, and there are limited choices as
opposed to the civilian lifestyle (Kelsall, Wijesinghe, Creamer,
McKenzie, Forbes, Page, & Sim, 2015). The contrast ever
existing between excitement and high stress, and the repetitive
military routine, can color the background of the military as
highly boring and even more boring than it should actually be.
Boredom may prompt excessive or depressive and may attract
destructive behavior such as drug abuse, torture, or even rape.
In fact, in the modern military training, there have been efforts
to include mechanisms through which military personnel can
keep active when bored and how to cope with the glaring
isolation (Kelsall, Wijesinghe, Creamer, McKenzie, Forbes,
Page, & Sim, 2015). The boredom and isolation if not
effectively dealt with both through personal and psychological
intervention can attract the culture of abusing drugs and
overindulging in several other detrimental behavior such as
illicit sexual relationships.
Effects of Drug Abuse in the Military
Three consequences of overuse of drugs and substances in the
military are prevalent: development of aggressive and violent

6. behavior, addiction and mental disorders, and suicide.
Development of Aggressive and Violent Behavior
Continued use of alcohol and drugs may lead to the
development of aggressive and violent behavior, especially over
time (Bergen-Cico, 2015). The duration and the type of drug
usually determine the aggressive and violent behavior. In
Soldiers, the aggressive and violent behavior is dangerous both
to their families and colleagues because they have been trained
how to fight, and hence may channel all their anger on the
perceived ‘enemy’ (Bergen-Cico, 2015). If the aggression and
violent behavior is severe enough, the Soldier may have a
breakdown, and may end up in a situation requiring emergency
treatment. Stimulants are heavily involved in cases where the
soldier develops aggressive or violent behavior.
Different stimulant drug substances, especially when taken on a
long binge or heavily, can bring about hallucinations or
paranoia (Bray, Marsden, Herbold, & Peterson, 2012). The
paranoia is dangerous especially if exposed to weapons since
they may feel like knocking out or striking people close to
them. Here, the usual culprits include synthetic marijuana,
commonly abused in the military, bath salts like methylene or
MDPV, crack cocaine, or cocaine itself (Bray, Marsden,
Herbold, & Peterson, 2012). In extreme situations, there have
been cases where soldiers have killed their families, killed
themselves, and destroyed everything around them because of
continued and heavy drug use, especially for the case of
stimulants.
Addiction and Mental Disorders
Using alcohol and drugs over a long period attracts addiction,
which may limit chances of withdrawal, a factor that may
warrant the intervention of rehabilitation and treatment. In the
medical perspective, drug addiction is a chronic disease,
characterized by seeking and using drugs compulsively,
inability to control intake and hence higher chances of exposure

7. to mental illnesses (Back, Killeen, Teer, Hartwell, Federline,
A., Beylotte, & Cox, 2014). For most service men and women,
the initial choices to use alcohol and drugs are largely
voluntary.
However, with frequent binge drinking and using other
substances over time, it changes from a voluntary decision to
addiction. Consequently, military personnel exposure to mental
disorders largely comes from overusing drugs and addiction
(Back, Killeen, Teer, Hartwell, Federline, A., Beylotte, & Cox,
2014). Depression is a major mental problem that results from
heavy drinking and using hard drugs. Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder, which is largely associated with traumatic events such
as sexual assault, disaster, assault and military combat has been
heavily linked to military personnel who are caught up in drugs
and substance abuse.
Most military personnel and veterans who end up with PTSD
have a history of abusing different kinds of drugs, and
especially the stimulants (Back, Killeen, Teer, Hartwell,
Federline, A., Beylotte, & Cox, 2014). Other major mental
problems associated with drug abuse include, substance-induced
mood disorder, substance induced anxiety disorder,
hallucinogen persisting perceptual disorder, and substance
induced persisting dementia. Without timely interventions and
inventions, these mental disorders can kill the affected military
personnel or ruin their lives completely.
Suicide
According a report by the Pentagon , around 265 active duty
military personnel killed themselves in 2015, stretching the
trend of unusually high rates of suicide that have negatively
affected the United States military for the past half a decade
(Allen, & Mazzuchi, 2015). The number of Soldiers taking
their lives has been on the rise, partly due to stress and
depression, and partly due to substance abuse and related
disorders. Addiction, depression, and suicide have a causative
connection. Most experts have attributed the high number of
suicide amongst the military because of intense emotional

8. distress (Allen, & Mazzuchi, 2015), while another considerably
high percentage is attributed to the effects of drug and alcohol
abuse.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, drugs addicts in
the military are six times more likely to kill themselves, almost
triple the rate in the civilian population. While stress,
depression and several other mood disorders are highly linked
to the high cases of suicides, drug abuse ranks a close second
(Allen, & Mazzuchi, 2015). According to research, alcoholism
is a stronger predictor of suicide than psychiatric diagnosis in
the military set up. Apart from the actual killing of oneself,
alcoholism and drug addiction are ingredients of suicidal
thoughts, with most armed officers in this category ending up
taking their lives.
Measures Undertaken to Manage Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the
Military
Over the years, the Department of Defense in collaboration with
other agencies within the military have undertaken a raft of
measures to limit use of alcohol and drug abuse among military
personnel, and hence help in saving lives. Some of the major
steps taken include adoption of the Zero-Tolerance policy,
rehabilitation and counseling, and creation of awareness and
limit the access to alcohol.
Adoption of the Zero-Tolerance Policy
The zero-tolerance policy is common in different institutions
other than the military. The policy is commonly used in schools
in eradicating illicit behavior or use of drugs (Bergen-Cico,
2015). For decades, the military has used the zero-tolerance
policy to solve drug related cases. The policy imposes very
harsh and strict punishment for infractions of the military, with
the intention of eliminating the menace of alcohol and drug
abuse (Bray, Marsden, Herbold, & Peterson, 2012). The zero-
tolerance policy in the United States was first developed by
Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush as a way of dealing with
the war on drugs which still goes on to date.
In the military, the zero tolerance to alcohol and substance

9. abuse has been adopted where very strict punishment meets any
service man or woman found using drugs or alcohol. The policy
does not only target the use of drugs but is very hard on people
found transporting or supplying drugs to the military personnel,
and especially if they are members of the armed forces (Allen,
& Mazzuchi, 2015). The consistence of the policy in the armed
forces is an absolute dichotomy between no use and the legality,
which equates the use of drugs to other harmful and undesirable
trait considered dangerous to the society. Because of the
penalties imposed, cases of drug and alcohol abuse have
dropped significantly stemming from the harsh punishment that
the zero-tolerance policy spells.
Rehabilitation and Counseling
Even for civilians, rehabilitation and counseling is a popular
method of helping drug addicts, especially those who have been
in the vice for a very long time. Rehabilitation is a wide area
consisting of different treatment methods and programs aimed at
making the patients feel better (Bray, Marsden, Herbold, &
Peterson, 2012). The United States has different rehabilitation
programs for active military personnel and the veterans who
have problems associated with drug abuse. The first stage of
the rehabilitation and counseling period include medically
arranged withdrawal and detoxification (Bray, Marsden,
Herbold, & Peterson, 2012). Detoxification is an important
stage of the rehabilitation process since the body is cleared of
all toxic drugs and made free. Counseling depressed service
men and women sometimes can be hard however because of the
PSTD and other mental disorders that are likely to be results of
the drug addiction.
Awareness Creation and Limiting the Access to Alcohol
Creation of awareness amongst the military personnel and the
public on the consequences of drug abuse is important in
lowering the levels of ignorance (Bray, Marsden, Herbold, &
Peterson, 2012). The Department of Defense in collaboration
with other health care organizations persistently and constantly
creates awareness on the effects of drugs abuse, and especially

10. on the mental disorders. In the processes, there have been
increased efforts to keep the military personnel occupied so that
boredom does not set in (Kelsall, Wijesinghe, Creamer,
McKenzie, Forbes, Page, & Sim, 2015). In 2012, the Pentagon
recommended that the military limit the access to alcohol.
Exposure to alcohol can be tempting especially to those military
personnel recovering from addiction or those who have used it
before. However, when the access is limited, few people are
tempted to use or even involve in binge drinking.
Conclusion
The problem of alcohol and substance abuse is on the rise,
according to statistics by the Department of Defense. The
concern should not only focus on ways of dealing with the
problem but rather a deep understanding of the sources of the
problem. If the military can come up with ways of dealing with
the causes, then the consequences can be easier to effectively
deal with (Kelsall, Wijesinghe, Creamer, McKenzie, Forbes,
Page, & Sim, 2015). The Department of Defense prepared a
report in 2012 addressing recommendations on ways that the
problem of substance abuse in the military. Amongst several
other recommendations that are highly effective for addressing
the menace, the report mentions the need to limit the access to
alcohol especially on bases (Back, Killeen, Teer, Hartwell,
Federline, Beylotte, & Cox, 2014). This can be an important
step towards solving the problem. Alcohol and drug abuse in
the military has tremendous consequences on the lives of
military personnel, there is an increasing number of service men
and women abusing alcohol and drugs, excessive abuse has led
to health problems such as mental disorders as well as stress
and depression, it interferes with their ability to perform in
their daily functions as a Soldier, You cannot prevent Soldiers
from using alcohol or drugs but you can implement measures to
discourage the use.

11. References
Ahmadi, K., Karambakhsh, A. R., Mehrazmay, A. R., Salesi,
M., & NajafiManesh, Z. (2014). The pattern of drug abuse
among soldiers. Journal Mil Med, 15(4), 235-243.
Allen, J., & Mazzuchi, J. (2015). Alcohol and drug abuse among
American military personnel: prevalence and policy
implications. Military medicine.
Back, S. E., Killeen, T. K., Teer, A. P., Hartwell, E. E.,
Federline, A., Beylotte, F., & Cox, E. (2014). Substance use
disorders and PTSD: an exploratory study of treatment
preferences among military veterans. Addictive
behaviors, 39(2), 369-373.
Bergen-Cico, D. K. (2015). War and drugs: The role of military
conflict in the development of substance abuse. London:
Routledge.
Bray, R. M., Marsden, M. E., Herbold, J. R., & Peterson, M. R.
(2012). Progress toward eliminating drug and alcohol abuse
among US military personnel. Armed forces & society, 18(4),
476-496.
Kelsall, H. L., Wijesinghe, M. S. D., Creamer, M. C.,
McKenzie, D. P., Forbes, A. B., Page, M. J., & Sim, M. R.
(2015). Alcohol use and substance use disorders in Gulf War,
Afghanistan, and Iraq War veterans compared with nondeployed
military personnel. Epidemiologic reviews, mxu014.

12. Assignment Details and Rubric
This Assignment consists of reading the following scenario and
composing a paper regarding the purpose of ethics
and corporate social responsibility.
You are owner and executive level manager of a food and
beverage shop which has eight locations. Each location is
situated on very small parcels of land. This original strategy has
contributed to somewhat lower operating expenses
for the business and you view this as a competitive advantage.
One of your shop locations was recently visited by a
government health inspector. Based on new local health
codes, new laws have been issued requiring trash dumpsters be
a minimum distance of 30 feet (9.144 meters) from
the rear entrance of the building. New land-use laws require that
all out buildings be at least 6 feet (1.8288 meters)
from the property lines. The enclosure that houses the trash
dumpster is 5 feet (1.524 meters) from the property
lines, which is in violation of those laws. The government
inspector has told your location manager that he would
be willing to approve this if your business provides the food for
his department's holiday party. The location
manager has conveyed this information to you.
The integrity of a business organization and its leaders is a
universally accepted component of business ethics. In
his article “Rethinking Integrity” Stratford Sherman outlines

13. eight ways in which business leaders can manage a
business organization with integrity.
After reading and reflecting on the scenario above, visit the KU
Online Library and read pages 39–45 of the
following article:
Sherman, S. (2003). Rethinking Integrity. Leader to Leader,
(28), 39–45
.
To access this article:
1. In the content area of your course and in the navigation, click
on the Kaplan Academic Tools module. There you
will find a link to the KU Library.
2. Look for the heading Required Reading on the Library home
page.
3. Click the article link.
With Sherman’s eight steps as your guide, and supported by
your other assigned chapter readings, write a paper of
at least 2 full double-spaced pages. Describe the steps necessary
for you to assess and take action demonstrating
ethics and corporate social responsibility in this situation.
What, if anything, does the nature of the holiday party
have to do with your decision and actions in this matter? How
will your decisions and actions influence the ethics
environment of the shop in particular and the corporate social
responsibility of your business in general?
Critical Elements for this Assignment:

14. ● Write your original response in Standard English, paying
special attention to grammar, style, and mechanics.
● Respond to each part of the Assessment in a thorough manner.
● Ensure that your viewpoint and purpose are clearly stated.
● Demonstrate logical and appropriate transitions from one idea
to another.
● Your paper should be highly organized, logical, and focused.
Minimal Submission Requirements:
● Your Assessment paper should be at least 2 full double-
spaced pages in length, using size 12-point font in
Word.
● Be sure your paper is well written in paragraph form, with
correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
● Be sure to name your file according to the following Kaplan
file-naming convention:
username_homework_unit#.doc (username is your Kaplan
username).
● You may use external sources in addition to the required
module readings. Cite any external sources used.
● Your paper must be written in Standard English and
demonstrate exceptional content, organization, style,
grammar, and mechanics.
● Your paper should provide a clearly established and sustained
viewpoint and purpose.
● Your writing should be well ordered, logical, and unified, as
well as original and insightful.

15. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is an act of academic dishonesty. It violates the
University Honor Code, and the offense is subject to
disciplinary action. You are expected to be the sole author of
your work. Use of another person's work or ideas
must be accompanied by specific citations and references.
Whether the action is intentional or not, it still
constitutes plagiarism.
For more information on Kaplan University’s Plagiarism policy,
refer to the current Kaplan University Catalog.
http://catalog.kaplanuniversity.edu/
AB140 Unit 8 Grading Rubric
Percentage Possible
Points
Content, Focus, Use of Text and Research:
● Recommended steps toward an ethical decision in this
situation.
● Addressed what, if anything, the nature of the party has to do
with
your response to the inspector’s offer.
● Addressed how your decisions and actions influence the
ethics and

16. CSR of your business.
50% 20
Analysis and Critical Thinking:
Responses demonstrated critical thinking and analysis and
exhibited
application of information.
30% 12
Spelling, Grammar, and Format:
Clear business writing. Spelling and grammar are acceptable.
Formatting follows instructions.
20% 8
Total 100% 40