Scots soldier who fell 70ft from hotel balcony 'may have died because military booze rules too strict'
He was put to bed by a fellow squaddie in his room at the City Comfort Hotel, Warsaw, but he later accidentally fell to his death from the balcony of his room.The inquest heard there was a "two can rule" on alcohol during the deployment which was described as "fairly restrictive".
The coroner issued the Ministry of Defence a report to prevent future deaths suggesting the military policy on alcohol was too strict which led to binge drinking when soldiers were off-duty.'RESTRICTIVE ALCOHOL POLICY' "It is possible that a restrictive alcohol policy and poor conditions in the base might lead to excessive/binge drinking when on a trip such as this one.
"Whichever view is taken of the above, whether it is a two can rule, four can rule or more, an important safeguard is the requirement for a soldier, normally an NCO, to be nominated as a shark watch and to remain sober and vigilant."It is not clear to me if there is a formalised policy. I anticipate the system may operate differently depending on the personnel and location.