alcohol A base Programs in the Military

Human resource programs generally have a low priority in the military, but in 1971 the armed forces began a major program to control alco-hol abuse. In 1980 the program will spend $50 million. This article discusses the program's successes and problems and the part social workers play in it. WHEN THE MILITARY establishment broadened its Drug Abuse Control Program to include alcohol abuse, it embarked on a program that encountered difficulty in obtaining the support of the military leadership. This country's military, like the larger society, accepted and even glamorized the use and misuse of alcoholic bever-ages. The use of alcohol was frequently the focus of social activities that were officially sponsored or encour-aged. Excessive drinking, when done in connection with a ceremony or celebration, was more often acclaimed than condemned. When the programs to control and treat alcohol abuse were initiated, there was not wide-spread support. On the contrary, there was resistance among the leadership in the defense establishment. The efforts of the program's operators and staff officers, the educational activities of the prevention program, an