Did substance use change after September llth? An analysis of a military cohort.
The purpose of this study was to assess changes in alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use after the terrorist attacks of September 11 among a cohort of young military personnel consisting of 661 active duty Navy personnel, including 164 women. Paired sample t tests were computed to assess mean differences in substance use in the 30 days before and after September 11. Average daily alcohol consumption significantly declined in the 30 days after September 11 among enlisted personnel (n = 315) and officers (n = 360). Significant increases in the usual number of cigarettes smoked and in the number of days using prescription drugs after September 11 were observed among enlisted personnel, but not among officers. Increased use of cigarettes and prescription drugs among enlisted personnel after September 11 suggests that some sectors of the military may turn to tobacco and other substances to cope with traumatic circumstances such as the events of September 11.
Moore
Roland S
RS
Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1995 University Avenue, Suite 450, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA.
Cunradi
Carol B
CB
Ames
Genevieve M
GM
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology