Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Physician, Toxicologist and Pharmacologist.
(MOLALLA, Ore.) - Vets news, the Oregon Department of Veterans affairs (ODVA) just published its January/February newspaper. I was not comforted by reading their article underlined, Combat, Suicide Related which lays out in grim detail disturbing facts.
The first fact was that suicide is the 11th most frequent cause of death and the rate among returning battle veterans is twice that of the general population. We know that battle veterans and those in battle zones represent only about ten percent of the population. The facts are tragic and staggering. We are losing our best and brightest.
The Oregon Department of Human Services, ODHS, reports that suicides are the leading cause of violent death and veterans though low in numbers, represent 28% of total suicides.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reported 800,000 depressed veterans from 1999 to 2004 and that 100,000 veterans are seeking mental health care and 52,000 have PTSD. Most of these are under 40 which means ONLY lower ranking soldiers etc., are affected. This should surprise no one- privates and low ranking sergeants do the killing, wounding and dying.
President Bush ordered the VA to provide increased services in 2007.
I have written before in several PTSD articles that the VA has not and can not provide adequate services to even a small fraction of PTSD veterans.
The Oregon National Guard has developed the Northwest Human Services Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800 560-5535 in response to the abject failure of the U.S. VA treatment programs.
As I have said before and will keep on saying, somebody's got to "get the lead out" and start facing this problem. If a combat veteran is in more peril back home than in the front lines, somebody should do something.
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Got a question or comment for Dr. Leveque?Email him: Newsroom@Salem-News.com
More information on the history of Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of Phil Leveque about his experiences in WWII.Order the book by mail by following this link: Dogface Soldier.
If you are a World War II history buff, you don't want to miss it.
Watch for more streaming video question and answer segments about medical marijuana with Bonnie King Dr. Phil Leveque.
Click on this link for other articles and video segments about PTSD and medical marijuana on Salem-News.com: Dr. Leveque INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES
PTSD Combat and Suicide: The Price of BattleSalem-News.com