Cerebral ischaemia - Alcohol consumption Factor
The alcohol factor for cerebrovascular accident requires average weekly consumption of specified amounts of alcohol over a period of at least the one year immediately before onset.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 during this 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 24 May 2007.
Investigative Documents
| Type | Title | PDF Format | Word Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claimant Report | Alcohol Consumption | ||
| Claimant Report | Alcohol Consumption | ||
| Medical Report | Alcohol Consumption |
Preliminary questions [12571]
25671 the veteran has regularly consumed alcohol (contained within alcoholic drinks) at some time.
12616 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and VEA service for the clinical onset of cerebrovascular accident.
12617 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and operational service for the clinical onset of cerebrovascular accident.
or
12618 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and eligible service for the clinical onset of cerebrovascular accident.
Clinical onset and operational service [12617]
25673 the veteran drank an average of at least 250 grams of alcohol per week for at least the one year before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.
25674 operational service made a material contribution to the veteran drinking an average of at least 250 grams of alcohol per week for at least the one year before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.
25675 the veteran's drinking of an average of at least 250 grams of alcohol per week for at least the one year 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 [12618]
25680 the veteran drank an average of at least 300 grams of alcohol per week for at least the one year before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.
25681 eligible service made a material contribution to the veteran drinking an average of at least 300 grams of alcohol per week for at least the one year before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.
25683 the veteran's drinking of an average of at least 300 grams of alcohol per week for at least the one year 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.