Binge drinking and alcoholism is a big issue in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, and the problem may begin even before sailors and marines deploy, a recent study suggests.
More than a quarter of sailors and marines who were anonymously surveyed within two weeks before their deployment admitted to binge drinking regularly, and nearly 40 percent reported dangerous drinking. A small but significant number also reported that they had been drugged against their will.
Previous research has focused on the drinking habits of military personnel while deployed or after returning home. Little is known about drinking in the period before reporting for duty, the researchers write in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
That period could be a time of higher stress and people may drink more because they will not be able to drink while aboard ship, the researchers write.
"This is a time of major transition away from family, friends and important social support networks," said coauthor Dr. Braden Hale, program manager at the Department of Defense's HIV/AIDS Prevention Program.
