According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corp are introducing random alcohol breath tests as part of a larger initiative to improve health and safety.
Long been known for effective, random drug testing programs for illegal drugs, this is the first step in what seems to be an increased emphasis on the issue of alcohol misuse among active duty military. Historically, alcohol is seen as legal, and as such it has not seen the level of scrutiny or funding afforded illegal drug use. As long as your job performance saw no impact from being intoxicated, there really was no mechanism in place for dealing with the issue.
As reported last week in Sobering Up, a significant number of DUIs happen in the early- to mid-morning hours—because people assume after some sleep that they are sober enough to drive and go to work. This program raises the question: Does the presence of any amount of alcohol warrant action, or is it only for personnel who test over a legal limit, either .05 BAC or .08 BAC?
Historically, military personnel are supposed to have 12 hours from “bottle to throttle,” but that is a guideline, not a regulation. Random breath tests would undoubtedly change some of these behavior patterns. If we’re honest, the majority of Americans who drink would likely have arrived at work with some level of intoxication in the past. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus notes that a positive breath test would not be placed on someone’s permanent record, and they are not mandating or even advocating a zero drinking policy.
The effort appears to be a combined one, hitting on the obvious issue of workplace safety, but according to the announcement, also focusing on identifying individuals who may need further assessment, treatment, or counseling.
In the last several years, a great deal of attention has been focused on the alarming rates of post-deployment suicides, domestic violence incidents, DUIs, and other crimes. Alcohol and/or drugs are reported to be significant contributors to the issue, and in fact, that seems to be the impetus for the new focus on alcohol for active duty personnel.
The U.S. Veterans Administration, the proliferation of Veterans Treatment Courts, and a long list of special interest groups are all working together to better understand, identify, and manage the alcohol and drug issue for U.S. combat veterans. Better identifying risk factors while they’re active duty could go a long way toward making an impact on the issue after they’ve completed their service.
