Trends in Substance Use by U.S. Military Personnel

Abstract

Changes in the use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes by U.S. military personnel are followed through the decade of the 1980s. Using data reported for four worldwide surveys of military personnel during the decade, it was found that drug use declined dramatically while the percentage of military personnel who used alcohol remained about the same. Cigarette smoking declined but not to the level of the civilian population. Service and geographic distribution of substances are examined along with demographic characteristics of users.