Alcohol consumption

The alcohol factors for gout require consumption of specified amounts of alcohol within any 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 01 JUNE 2000.

INVESTIGATIVE DOCUMENTS

PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS [30079]

25686 the veteran has consumed alcohol at some time.

30081  the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and VEA service for gout.

30083   the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and VEA service for the clinical onset of gout.

30086  the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and operational service for the clinical onset of gout.

or

30087  the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and eligible service for the clinical onset of gout.

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.

30085   the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and VEA service for the clinical worsening of gout.

30088  the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and operational service for the clinical worsening of gout.

or

30089  the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and eligible service for the clinical worsening of gout.

CLINICAL ONSET AND OPERATIONAL SERVICE [30086]

30080 the veteran has drunk 150 kg of alcohol within a ten year period at some time.

30090 the veteran drank at least 150 kg of alcohol within the ten years immediately before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.

30108 operational service made a material contribution to the veteran's drinking of at least 150 kg of alcohol within the ten years immediately before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.

30092 the veteran's drinking of at least 150 kg of alcohol within the ten years immediately 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 [30087]

30093 the veteran has drunk 220 kg of alcohol within a ten year period at some time.

30094 the veteran drank at least 220 kg of alcohol within the ten years immediately before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.

30109 eligible service made a material contribution to the veteran's drinking of at least 220 kg of alcohol within the ten years immediately before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.

30095 the veteran's drinking of at least 220 kg of alcohol within the ten years immediately 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 [30088]

30080 the veteran has drunk 150 kg of alcohol within a ten year period at some time.

30091 the veteran drank at least 150 kg of alcohol after the clinical onset and within the ten years immediately before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.

30100 operational service made a material contribution to the veteran's drinking of at least 150 kg of alcohol within the ten years immediately before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.

30127 the clinical onset of the condition under consideration was before the operational service which caused a material contribution to the veteran's drinking of at least 150 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical worsening.

30102 the veteran's drinking of at least 150 kg of alcohol within the ten years immediately 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 [30089]

30093 the veteran has drunk 220 kg of alcohol within a ten year period at some time.

30096 the veteran drank at least 220 kg of alcohol after the clinical onset and within the ten years immediately before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.

30110 eligible service made a material contribution to the veteran's drinking of at least 220 kg of alcohol within the ten years immediately before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.

30134 the clinical onset of the condition under consideration was before the eligible service which caused a material contribution to the veteran's drinking of at least 220 kg of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical worsening.

30105 the veteran's drinking of at least 220 kg of alcohol within the ten years immediately 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.