Alcohol consumption and problem drinking in white male veterans and nonveterans

The relation between veteran status and 15 indicators of alcohol consumption and problem drinking is examined using data from the 1977, 1983, and 1985 National Health Interview Surveys conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. After simultaneous adjustment for age, region of the US, urbanization, ethnicity, marital status, education, and income, a greater proportion of White male veterans than White male nonveterans were heavy drinkers and a smaller proportion were abstainers. This association appeared in all three survey years; further, veterans consistently reported a high daily consumption level (the equivalent of approximately six bottles of beer, five glasses of wine, or four mixed drinks) compared to nonveterans. Among White male veterans, 6.9 percent reported family or marital problems and 13.9 percent reported motor vehicle crashes or violations compared to 4.4 percent and 8.9 percent, respectively, among nonveterans. The same pattern was observed for lifetime prevalences of alcoholism (veterans have nearly two and a half times the lifetime prevalence of nonveterans), cirrhosis of the liver, and unspecified alcohol-related problems.