Patterns of illicit drug use in the Army

The authors collected detailed histories of illicit drug use in the Army in individual interviews with a stratified random sample of 262 enlisted men at six military posts across the United States. Approximately half of the sample (N equals 128) were classified as drug users; 90 of these individuals were identified as career multiple-drug users. Most of these subjects used a variety of drugs in frequently changing patterns. The authors emphasize the individualistic nature of drug use and question the appropriateness of an addiction model for most users of illicit drugs.