Alcoholism: Disease or Willful Misconduct? A Look at the Veterans Administration Position in Traynor v. Turnage

Abstract

An analysis of the Veterans Administration interpretation that certain types of alcoholism constitute “willful misconduct” and the opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court in Traynor upholding that position reveals weaknesses in both. The VA's position was based on data accumulated nearly 50 years ago and is inconsistent with the position of the majority of medical and psychiatric practitioners today. The Court consciously chose to ignore the vast amount of evidence before it that argues in favor of the “disease” concept of alcoholism. The struggle between these two opposing ideologies can be resolved only through an act of Congress defining with specificity the critical terms in dispute.