The negative effects of alcohol use on general health, and cognitive and physical performance is widely researched. However, there is debate that the relationships between alcohol use or drug use and workplace factors are unequivocal. This study extends existing research into the alcohol consumption behavior of Australian police by comparing the drinking behavior of 100 participants as recruits to that of those same participants as first-year constables. Alcohol consumption behaviors were assessed by means of the standardized AUDIT (1993). Other variables of interest were demographic characteristics, including age, gender, marital status, education level, and whether participants had family or friends who were members of the participating police service; general well-being, including smoking behavior, health and happiness ratings, history of treatment for an emotional disorder, and family history of treatment for an emotional disorder; and work-place environment, being measures of work-place hassles and perceived lack of support. The findings indicate a significant increase in the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption over time. Overall, there were no changes in the number of officers who reported risk of harmful drinking or alcohol dependency. Smoking is associated with harmful drinking behavior at the time they underwent initial training but not after they had completed 12 months of operational duties. Tables, references