Alcohol-related diagnoses, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2001-2010.

Alcohol abuse and dependence in the U.S. military are well-described public health problems. From 2001-2010, numbers and rates of incident alcohol-related diagnoses and alcohol-related medical encounters have increased among active component members, with the sharpest increases since 2007. Numbers of hospital bed days for acute alcohol diagnoses increased more than three-fold. Incidence rates of acute and chronic alcohol-related diagnoses were highest in 21-24-year-old males in the Army, but among women rates were highest among those under 21. More than one-fifth (21%) of all acute alcohol-related encounters were recurrent diagnoses and the proportion of recurrences was higher among those in combat occupations (26%) and in the Air Force (35%). Recent increases in incident alcohol-related diagnoses may reflect increasing scrutiny of alcohol use among military members and a concomitant focus on referrals for evaluation of alcohol misuse.