Sleep apnoea - Alcohol consumption Factor
Alcohol consumption is a worsening only factor in the SOPs for sleep apnoea. The factor requires consuming an average of at least 30 grams (RH) and 50 grams (BOP) of alcohol per day, for at least the six months before the clinical worsening of sleep apnoea.
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 18 July 2005.
Investigative Documents
Type | Title | PDF Format | Word Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claimant Report | Alcohol Consumption | ||
| Claimant Report | Alcohol Consumption | ||
| Medical Report | Alcohol Consumption |
Preliminary questions [34816]
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.
25686 the veteran has consumed alcohol at some time.
34833 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and VEA service for the clinical worsening of sleep apnoea.
34834 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and operational service for the clinical worsening of sleep apnoea.
or
34835 the veteran has established the causal connection between the alcohol consumption and eligible service for the clinical worsening of sleep apnoea.
Clinical worsening and operational service [34834]
34836 the veteran consumed an average of at least 30 grams of alcohol per day after the clinical onset and for at least the 6 months before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.
34838 operational service made a material contribution to the requirements of the Statement of Principles for alcohol consumption before the clinical worsening of sleep apnoea.
34840 the material contribution by operational service to the consumption of alcohol for the 6 months before the clinical worsening of sleep apnoea relates to operational service rendered after the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.
Clinical worsening and eligible service [34835]
34837 the veteran consumed an average of at least 50 grams of alcohol per day after the clinical onset and for at least the 6 months before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.
34839 eligible service made a material contribution to the requirements of the Statement of Principles for alcohol consumption before the clinical worsening of sleep apnoea.
34841 the material contribution by eligible service to the consumption of alcohol for the 6 months before the clinical worsening of sleep apnoea relates to eligible service rendered after the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.