Ottawa, Dec 13 (IANS): The Canadian navy has banned the consumption of alcohol while on duty after an incident caused by drink-related misconduct.

Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Mark Norman Friday said that the ban was effective on the issuance of the order unless the vessel is tied up or an exception has been made for a special occasion such as Christmas, Xinhua reported.

The order was made following an incident in July in which the His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Whitehorse abandoned an exercise and returned to port after three allegations of drunken misconduct.

Norman said the policy change was not about alcohol.

"This is about the conduct of our people and unfortunately alcohol does contribute to misconduct and has done in the past. And we just want to try and regulate that as best we can going forward," he said.

The order will forbid the longstanding practice of easy and cheap access to beer and wine aboard navy vessels.

Before the just-issued order, navy sailors were allowed to drink while at sea, provided they were not on duty in less than six hours.