Iraq, Afghan Vet Drug Problems Could Surpass Those of Vietnam Era

Iraq, Afghan Vet Drug Problems Could Surpass Those of Vietnam Era
Published August 31st, 2009
A report from the recent Wounds of War Conference at Columbia University focused on the issue of Veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with a host of issues, including drug and alcohol abuse and untreated PTSD. Experts projected that drug problems for young Veterans will exceed those of the Vietnam era.

Today's soldiers have spent more time deployed in combat than their Vietnam era counterparts, according to experts at the conference, which is contributing to more soldiers suffering from PTSD. The drugs on which service men and women become dependent are frequently pharmaceutical painkillers issued to them for combat injuries. They often do not realize how reliant they have become on the drugs to help them cope with the anxiety of their war experiences until they return home. Illicit drug and alcohol abuse then often take the place of painkillers and other prescribed drugs

Presenters at the conference addressed the fact that many returning soldiers are just out of their teens, have transitioned from the structure of high school, to the structure of the military, and have witnessed and been a part of extreme acts of violence while deployed. Former soldiers are then are sent home as civilians and left to figure out how to live their lives while coping with the aftereffects of war.

Only a third of returning Veterans seek out help from the VA after leaving the services, and many former soldiers are uncomfortable getting counseling from a government organization. In particular, female Veterans, who report high rates of sexual abuse and rape while in the military report feeling unsafe in VA buildings full of “men in uniforms.”
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