The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for alcoholism and drug abuse cannot be granted as such conditions are not considered to have been incurred or aggravated during active military service.
The deciding factor: Service connection for alcohol and drug abuse is prohibited by law due to the provisions of Section 8052 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1990, which prohibits compensation for disabilities resulting from personal willful misconduct or abuse of alcohol or drugs.
- Claimed conditions
- alcoholism, drug abuse
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2001
- Citation
- 0122594
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0122594.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's alcoholism is secondary to his service-connected adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for alcohol abuse and drug abuse, as well as a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating or secondary service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's motion to revise an August 2009 rating decision denying service connection for alcoholism (also claimed as depression) on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE), finding no CUE in the original decision.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of various psychiatric conditions, including substance abuse condition, alcoholism, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and severe depression.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.