Drug use and its relation to alcohol and cigarette consumption in the military community of West Germany (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes in a military setting).

An epidemiological study of the prevalence of smoking, drinking, drunkenness, and drug usage based on the analysis of a questionnaire survey administered to 557 American High School students and 1219 military personnel during 1970 indicated that disorders of habit as manifested by cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, or drug abuse are interrelated. These data are interpreted as consistent with the hypothesis that some individuals respond to stress through these activities, with resultant consequences for health. Drug use is thus seen as a relatively new manifestation of established coping mechanisms (experimentations, habits, intoxications).Indirect evidence shows that the associations of drug users differ from those of nonusers in a way that might explain a progression from use of “soft” drugs to that of “hard” drugs. Survey data also indicate that the bulk of initial drug use by military respondents occurs prior to military service (56 %) and prior to arrival in the Federal Republic of Germ...

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