Almost 10,000 British troops treated for alcohol abuse in past five years, shock figures reveal

NEARLY 10,000 British troops have been treated for alcohol abuse in the past five years, figures obtained by The Sun on Sunday reveal.

Medical records show 966 service personnel were classed as alcohol dependent, with 143 staff medically discharged due to ­booze-related health issues, according to the Ministry of Defence.

More than 4,000 have faced disciplinary action since 2018 for alcohol- related offences.

In the Royal Navy, 200 sailors and marines were punished for drinking related offences over the same two year period.

A report into the 2022 death of soldier Nicholas Hart, at Catterick, North Yorks, found he was having 18 bottles of beer a night on his own.

There are currently no rules on the amount of alcohol military personnel can have in their barrack rooms, although recommendations have now been made in the wake of Hdlr Hart’s death.

General Sir Richard Dannatt has also said that alcohol abuse posed a greater risk to the armed forces than illegal drugs.

He said: “Abuse of alcohol has long been a chronic problem in the Army – more so than misuse of drugs which is dealt with very severely.

“The culture of working hard and then playing hard often leads to misuse of alcohol.

“That said, there is a greater awareness in the Army of the dangers of alcohol abuse and of the importance of physical fitness, than 10 or 20 years ago.”

A Ministry of Defence Spokesperson said: “While the figures show that alcohol abuse only affects a small proportion of the armed forces, we have measures in place to reduce alcohol misuse.

“This includes a strict code of conduct, education and awareness campaigns and highly trained healthcare professionals to support the welfare of our personnel and others.”