Military Battles Substance Abuse by Soldiers

Issue called a “crisis” in U.S. armed services

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By Megan Edge

Story Created: Sep 20, 2012 at 7:56 AM AKDT

Story Updated: Sep 20, 2012 at 8:00 AM AKDT

ANCHORAGE - Off the battlefields, the military is now waging a new war on the home front – against drug and alcohol abuse by active military soldiers.

It’s an issue that the Institute of Medicine is now calling a crisis.

Military doctor and the Clinical Director of the Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) Terry Bates said the beginning of addiction is as simple as sharing war stories with fellow soldiers over a couple drinks.

Schemichiko Cooper knows that war is never easy. She was enlisted for four years, and two years ago was deployed as a supply clerk.

“I was scared I was not going to come home, and when I did deploy my son had just turned one,” said Cooper. She left the military after four and a half years.

“The military in general is very stressful, that’s why I am out of the military, but I salute the people stay in it, that are strong enough that can deal with stuff like that.”

Even after leaving the military, her and her son are still affected by military life every day because Cooper’s husband of six years is still deployed.

Right now, they are bracing for his long journey home.

And, according to researchers, home is where another battle begins. Since the war began, doctors are writing four times the amount of prescriptions than before the war.

Those drugs are used to help fight pain and depression.

“If you do get injured they give you painkillers in the military. and it [is] stuff you could get addicted to, like codeine,” said Cooper. “They give it to you for pain, but a human would get addicted to it.”

And after that, Bates said they use the drugs to manage moods.

“It takes away a lot of the feelings, a lot of the thought I have running through my head, or I can use substances and it will do the same thing for me,” said Bates, and added most people don’t even know they are addicted.

“We have anywhere from spice, to marijuana, to cocaine; we don't see a lot of methamphetamine. We are seeing more and more and more heroin and opiates, which we see heroin after someone has been addicted to their pills usually,” said Bates.

Doctors said heroin is a growing issue because its cheaper that painkillers.

According to ASAP, the first step is identifying the problem early on, but they said that getting help is easier said than done.

“There is still a stigma around coming forward, and saying you might have a alcohol or substance abuse program,” said Bates.

She said that they are still grappling with the problem and expects that number to go down, because the military is coming down hard on drug and alcohol offenders.

ASAP’s main goal though, is to prevent such addictions from happening to families like the Cooper’s, and making sure that every soldier comes back from war stronger than when they enlisted.

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too bad for Alaska's bank account said on Wednesday, Nov 28 at 4:04 PM

Word is it went to the UN Council for review since getting a sweeping under the rug up here and in DC... Nice thing is once funds are restored...soldiers can be hired and dispatched to contracts...build some houses and keep busy with DoD contracts in the lower 48 and the storm damages sustained... But our great governor Sean is too Christ like to let that happen...it will ruin EVERYTHING...smirk!

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Law Dog said on Friday, Oct 26 at 10:08 AM

And the Idaho Arien Nations hung that Nam Vet because he knew the kid was entitled to more than 10,000 dollars...it was more like 108 million...

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this bums me out people said on Wednesday, Sep 26 at 3:10 PM

yeah well if sarah hadn't ripped off a kid of a HUGE Trust account...the kid would hire soldiers and was trained by Nam vets and their PSTD and SET so tossing these boys into the field of contracting the kid is in...no harm no foul...but Sean is an evil man and bows to Sarah and her BS so let's bury one a day according to the stats...

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Toxicity said on Monday, Sep 24 at 9:13 PM

that happens because getting it is cheap and kids can get it for the soldiers. and they get to not caring when they see that what they signed up for is not what is going on at all. the ME Vietnam. now we got it all over except 50 yrs later.

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Ministry said on Monday, Sep 24 at 4:25 PM

Let's Go

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Brainiac said on Friday, Sep 21 at 10:28 PM

great - brainwash the soldiers to fight over oil I mean war - then brainwash them to be a drug addict - then complain when they don't pay taxes - then cry when they eat a gun - great brainwashing tactics!!!

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