Macular degeneration - Alcohol consumption Factor
The alcohol contention for macular degeneration requires consumption of specified amounts of alcohol within a 10 year period. As part of the investigation of this factor you will be asked to consider whether VEA service made a material contribution to the specified amounts for the relevant period. In considering this question you should have regard to:
- 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 a service related 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 27 April 2010.
Investigative Documents
| Type | Title | PDF Format | Word Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claimant Report | Alcohol Consumption | ||
| Claimant Report | Alcohol Consumption | ||
| Medical Report | Alcohol Consumption |
Preliminary questions [41148]
25686 the veteran has consumed alcohol at some time.
41149 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and VEA service for macular degeneration.
41150 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and VEA service for the clinical onset of macular degeneration.
41152 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and operational service for the clinical onset of macular degeneration.
or
41153 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and eligible service for the clinical onset of macular degeneration.
or
7334 the clinical onset of the condition under consideration occurred after the end of the veteran's last period of VEA service.
7335 the condition under consideration permanently worsened.
41151 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and VEA service for the clinical worsening of macular degeneration.
41154 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and operational service for the clinical worsening of macular degeneration.
or
41155 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and eligible service for the clinical worsening of macular degeneration.
Clinical onset and operational service [41152]
41156 the veteran has consumed a total of 100 kg of alcohol within a ten year period at some time.
41158 the veteran consumed a total of 100 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.
41162 operational service made a material contribution to the veteran's consumption of a total of 100 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.
41168 the veteran's consumption of a total of 100 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration, which was materially contributed by operational service, was due to the veteran's serious default, wilful act or serious breach of discipline.
Clinical onset and eligible service [41153]
41157 the veteran has consumed a total of 140 kg of alcohol within a ten year period at some time.
41159 the veteran consumed a total of 140 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.
41163 eligible service made a material contribution to the veteran's consumption of a total of 140 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.
41169 the veteran's consumption of a total of 140 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration, which was materially contributed by eligible service, was due to the veteran's serious default, wilful act or serious breach of discipline.
Clinical worsening and operational service [41154]
41156 the veteran has consumed a total of 100 kg of alcohol within a ten year period at some time.
41160 the veteran consumed a total of 100 kg of alcohol after the clinical onset and within the ten years before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.
41164 operational service made a material contribution to the veteran's consumption of a total of 100 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.
41166 the clinical onset of the condition under consideration was before the operational service which made a material contribution to the veteran's consumption of a total of 100 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.
41170 the veteran's consumption of a total of 100 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration, which was materially contributed by operational service, was due to the veteran's serious default, wilful act or serious breach of discipline.
Clinical worsening and eligible service [41155]
41157 the veteran has consumed a total of 140 kg of alcohol within a ten year period at some time.
41161 the veteran consumed a total of 140 kg of alcohol after the clinical onset and within the ten years before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.
41165 eligible service made a material contribution to the veteran's consumption of a total of 140 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.
41167 the clinical onset of the condition under consideration was before the eligible service which made a material contribution to the veteran's consumption of a total of 140 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.
41171 the veteran's consumption of a total of 140 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration, which was materially contributed by eligible service, was due to the veteran's serious default, wilful act or serious breach of discipline.