Drinking & Young Adults in the Workplace: A Longitudinal Case Study
Principal Investigator: Genevieve M. Ames, Ph.D.

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The workplace is well-established as a site where alcohol related programs are manifested, and it is also a place where primary, secondary and tertiary prevention efforts can be based. Little is known about specific elements of the workplace environment of military and other regimented organizations that can influence drinking.

The major goal of this longitudinal study was to assess the substance use practices of newly enlisted recruits and officer candidates during their first five years of service. It also investigated how drinking is fostered in specific work settings and job categories. We use both ethnographic and survey methods.

In the ethnography, we visited military bases and vessels in the Atlantic and Pacific fleets, to conduct face-to-face interviews with key personnel and young recruits and officers who had been in the military less than five years. Findings from the ethnography provided an understanding of the context of drinking, as well as information on possible barriers to effective treatment and prevention programs.

In the survey, we observed drinking patterns at the point of entry, and again after the first and third years to observe changes in drinking patterns and problems.

We developed a number of research reports. Here I can share some interesting results from the baseline survey of two thousand (2000) recruits in boot camp.

The majority of recruits reported as current drinkers.

While underage recruits had lower rates of pre-enlistment alcohol use compared to recruits 21 and over, 18 and 19 year-old recruits were at increased risk for frequent heavy drinking. This suggests that underage recruits who do in fact drink, are at a higher risk for heavy and problem drinking than their older counterparts.

Among recruits who are current drinkers, the overwhelming majority [80%] experienced at least one negative consequence of drinking in the year prior to enlistment; about 50% had three or more negative consequences.

Although men were more likely to report frequent heavy drinking than women, gender was not associated with the likelihood of reporting 3+ negative consequences of drinking. Therefore, young women entering the military, who drink heavily, may be at greater risk for experiencing problems than their male counterparts.

Normative beliefs concerning drinking were highly correlated with pre-enlistment current drinking. For example: 95% of recruits who thought their best friend drank 5-7 days a week, were current drinkers, and of these, about 69% were heavy drinkers.

Finally, the prevalence of current drinking was significantly higher among recruits who reported pre-enlistment tobacco or drug use.

These data have application to a wide range of occupations that employ non-college bound young adults in the following ways:

• Knowledge of prevalence and correlates of underage alcohol, tobacco and drugs, provide researchers and .. employers with a profile of use patterns for non-college youth entering the workforce.

• Awareness of use patterns may encourage employers to develop alcohol policies that address the drinking behavior of the younger workers.

• It will provide information useful for employer-sponsored prevention programs, including education, health promotion and employee assistance strategies that target substance use and abuse.

• Awareness of use patterns and policy and prevention changes will promote standards of readiness, higher performance levels and healthy and safety sensitive work environments.

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