Records of almost 10,000 military personnel show that they have been treated for alcohol abuse, while a further 1,000 troops were classed as alcohol-dependent
Almost 15,000 British troops have been treated for alcohol abuse and disciplined for booze-related offences.
The medical records of almost 10,000 military personnel show that they have been treated for alcohol abuse, while a further 1,000 troops were classed as alcohol-dependent, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Another 143 personnel were also medically discharged because of alcohol-related health issues. Figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request also show that 4,040 troops have faced disciplinary action since 2018 for alcohol-related offences such as drink-driving.
Hundreds of troops from all three services have also been court-martialled, with at least 100 being dismissed.
The worst offenders were Army squaddies, who have committed four times the number of offences compared with the RAF and Royal Navy, even though they are just over twice the size in manpower. One serving senior officer told the Daily Star Sunday: “There is an alcohol problem in the armed forces.
Alcohol abuse probably causes more problems than drug abuse. It is often the main factor in assaults and domestic violence.
“Too many members of the armed forces are being treated for alcohol abuse, and they can’t properly function if they are drunk or hungover.”
In the last two years, up to 850 soldiers have been disciplined for alcohol offences, and of those, 20 have been sacked. Over the same period, 200 members of the RAF faced disciplinary action and fewer than 10 were dismissed.
In the Royal Navy, 200 sailors and marines were punished for drinking-related offences over the same two-year period.
In January, the Royal Navy tightened the rules on alcohol use aboard its ships to a maximum of 14 units a week per sailor, equivalent to six pints of beer.
Under the new rules, Royal Navy personnel should not consume more than three units of alcohol per day, and ships must enforce two alcohol-free days per week.
Ships will now sell a range of zero- and low-alcohol drinks to encourage responsible drinking.
The Navy said the new policy was in line with the UK Chief Medical Officer’s health advice and would “ensure our people remain fit for naval operations”.
The new restrictions do not apply to sailors when they are not on board ships, including when they are on shore bases.
Last year, three British Army soldiers were reportedly arrested in Germany after going “on the rampage” while under the influence of alcohol. Three men, aged 20, 23 and 27, were arrested and handed over to the British military police in the west German city of Paderborn.
A local reportedly called the police after seeing a man run over the top of a car, causing damage to the roof of the parked vehicle.
General Sir Richard Dannatt, a former head of the Army, has previously said that alcohol abuse posed a greater risk to the armed forces than illegal drugs.
He said: “Abuse of alcohol has long been a chronic problem in the Army — more so than misuse of drugs, which is dealt with very severely. “The culture of working hard and then playing hard often leads to misuse of alcohol. “That said, there is greater awareness in the Army of the dangers of alcohol abuse and of the importance of physical fitness than 10 or 20 years ago.”
An MOD spokesperson said: “Ensuring our Armed Forces are fit to fight and the wellbeing of our personnel is one of our highest priorities.
“Every member of the Armed Forces regularly undertakes an alcohol harm assessment. Those whose scores indicate harmful, hazardous or potentially dependent alcohol issues are given relevant support.
“We have improved how we support our people to recognise the signs of mental health distress, including pre-and post-operational stress management training, a wide range of psychiatric and psychological treatments and initiatives such as Trauma Risk Management (TRiM), which provides peer-to-peer support after a traumatic incident.”