Holloman reinstates the Responsible Drinking Program

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tiffany Trojca
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  In an effort to prevent drinking and driving, the staff at the 49th Medical Operations Squadron Mental Health Clinic here are bringing back the Responsible Drinking Program.

Staff Sgt. Michael Lee, Certified Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselor, said you know you have a problem, and you might want to think about self referral to the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment center if people are telling you your drinking is problematic; you're noticing disruptions in your relationships, like arguments, because you've been drinking; or you're having ongoing physical reactions, like mild withdrawal, from drinking.

"Some other ways to know are failed attempts to cut back, losing control of behavior, drinking large amounts and frequency," Sergeant Lee said.

According to Capt. Darren Nordin, 49th MDOS Mental Health Clinic interim commander, the Responsible Drinking class will give people who fear they may have an alcohol problem or simply would like more information about how to remain in control while drinking, a safe way to get information anonymously. If there is a problem, they are able to seek help from the ADAPT staff.

"A lot of times people come to us when they're already in trouble because of an alcohol related incident that involves either the law or the commanders in some way," he said. "What causes a problem is a problem."

While the team said there's a set guideline for drinking, they also stress that tolerance differs from person to person.

The guideline is 0-0-1-3. What it means is zero tolerance for underage drinking; zero tolerance for driving while intoxicated; one drink per hour; and three drinks per night.

A drink is considered one shot of alcohol in a drink, five ounces of wine or twelve ounces of beer. Another good guide is 10 drinks a week on average, just not all at once.

"You have the right to drink but you do not have the right to get behind the wheel of a car while you are impaired and put other people's lives at risk," Captain Nordin said. "You do not have the right to embarrass the base and the Air Force by making such a foolish choice."

Airman 1st Class Jessica Aguilar, mental health technician, has a solution. "There's no excuse to drive while drinking ... we have 572-RIDE and it's free," she said. "You save gas, your own life and maybe the lives of others."