Over the years the Department of Defense has developed varying policies on how to handle substance abuse within the service. The military’s history with veteran substance abuse is often exacerbated by deployment and combat environments.
Policy directives mostly began in the Vietnam era. Currently, policy discourages substance use, but zero-tolerance policies may discourage military members from seeking treatment for drug abuse. Zero-tolerance policies can create an environment of fear. Instead of encouraging soldiers to get help for substance use disorders, it encourages drug use to go untreated.
Active duty military members can find themselves developing an addiction to drugs as they start their social reintegration when returning from a deployment. Fitting back into civilian life can be difficult due to the vast changes in their work and personal environments, making drug use more likely.