27. Myth: Drug use among American troops in Vietnam was no worse than among the civilian population at home
Since the end of the Vietnam War and the emergence of explanations and revisions regarding some of its less than savory incidents, there has been a growing and increasingly vocal argument that drug use among the deployed troops was at a rate which reflected American society. Soldiers who served in Vietnam did not become regular active users of drugs until after they returned to the United States and dealt with, in addition to the stresses of the war which they had lately left behind, the hostile reception which was offered them upon returning to the United States by those in opposition to the war. During deployment, according to the argument, drug use was limited to a few who used cannabis, and the beer which was provided to the troops by the military for their recreation when not in the line.
