Alcohol consumption

The alcohol factor for malignant neoplasm of the colorectum requires consumption of specified amounts of alcohol (250 kg for reasonable hypothesis, 500 kg for balance of probabilities) within any 25 year period, and within specified periods (40 years RH, 30 years BOP) immediately before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the colorectum.

In deciding whether or not malignant neoplasm of the colorectum can be related to VEA service through alcohol consumption, you must first establish whether or not the minimum SOP requirements have been met.  You must then consider whether or not VEA service has made a material contribution to these requirements.

This requires consideration of the following:

• Guideline for claims assessors on smoking and alcohol related conditions and military service and also
• AN02/2000, an Advisory Note concerning Alcohol Habituation.

A material contribution by service can be made in a number of ways:

• an amount was consumed during service, as a causal result of service;
• an amount was consumed because of another medical condition, either during service or after service, or both.  For example: as part of alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse; or as part of another psychiatric condition; or as "self medication" for a medical condition.

The Repatriation Commission also agreed that arguments put to delegates that are outside the Guideline must still be considered for substance and medical and scientific support.  However the Commission did not agree that the temporal connection of service life with alcohol consumption is enough to establish ‘habit’ as the cause of alcohol use.

“Habituation” is often an argument advanced to connect service conditions with post service alcohol consumption.

A search by the RMA for sound medical scientific evidence bearing on "habituation" revealed only one epidemiological study (as at April 2000) that bears on the ‘habituation’ issue, that is, whether a “habit” of alcohol drinking continues from the service environment into the community after discharge from service.  In fact that paper suggested that not only was there no association with military service there is some evidence that military service produces the opposite effect.

Last reviewed for CCPS 26 August 2004.

Investigative Documents

Preliminary questions [14797]

25686 the veteran has consumed alcohol at some time.

14849  the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and VEA service for the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the colorectum.

14850   the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and operational service for the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the colorectum.

or

14851   the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and eligible service for the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the colorectum.

Clinical onset and operational service [14850]

14812 the veteran consumed at least 250 kg of alcohol within a 25 year period within the 40 years immediately before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.

33897 operational service made a material contribution to the veteran's consumption of at least 250 kg of alcohol within a 25 year period within the 40 years immediately before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.

33898 the veteran's alcohol consumption during and as a result of operational service, which made a material contribution to at least 250 kg of alcohol within a 25 year period within the 40 years immediately before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration, was due to the veteran's serious default, wilful act or serious breach of discipline.

Clinical onset and eligible service [14851]

14813 the veteran consumed at least 500 kg of alcohol within a 25 year period within the 30 years immediately before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.

33899 eligible service made a material contribution to the veteran's consumption of at least 500 kg of alcohol within a 25 year period within the 30 years immediately before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.

33900 the veteran's alcohol consumption during and as a result of eligible service, which made a material contribution to at least 500 kg of alcohol within a 25 year period within the 30 years immediately before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration, was due to the veteran's serious default, wilful act or serious breach of discipline.