SHAPE, Belgium – Every January, people around the world make resolutions to prioritize health and fitness, presenting the perfect time to a reinforce a healthy relationship with drinking. Danielle Peterson, U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Benelux Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) prevention coordinator teaches responsible drinking through the two-day “Prime for Life” course, available to all U.S. personnel assigned to the Benelux; and local nationals on a space-available basis.
When someone is involved in an alcohol-related incident, instead of discharging them from the military, their commander can mandate them to attend the course. If someone identifies themselves as a heavy drinker and wants to get help before an incident occurs, they can self-refer without consequence.
“Our overall mission is to prevent, deter and assist. We encourage self-referrals, which is the overall intent of our program,” said Peterson. “We know that in 21 days you can develop a habit so with our ‘31 Days Without Alcohol’ campaign, people can start it when they see fit.”
One way the campaign helps people meet their goal is by teaching the “three-two-one guideline.” If a person is diagnosed with alcoholism, they should be abstinent from alcohol, their number is zero. If someone needs to reduce their drinking, they should not drink more than one standard drink in an hour, it’s recommended not have more than two in a day, but if they feel the need to have the third drink, no more than three.
“When we start to exceed three drinks in a day, that’s when the personal and health problems tend to kick in. This formula teaches people not to drink more than 14 standard drinks in a week, helping to alleviate binge drinking,” said Peterson. “The standard drink is defined as .06; if you take the percentage of the drink, multiply it by ounces, that’s how you calculate how many standard drinks are in a beverage.”
The consequences of alcohol-related incidents can be life-changing. When a blood alcohol level reaches .05, the result is reduced coordination and a slower response time. By the time a blood alcohol level reaches .08, it becomes hard to detect danger and perception is off.
The ASAP team is ready to help anyone wanting to reduce their alcohol intake, improve their relationship with alcohol or get help before it impacts their relationships, career, health or overall well-being.
Contact your local ASAP office (https://home.army.mil/benelux/about/Garrison/directorate-human-resources/asap-services) or visit ownyourlimits.org for more information.
Date Taken: | 01.17.2025 |
Date Posted: | 01.17.2025 08:58 |
Story ID: | 489248 |
Location: | HAINAUT (WAL), BE |
Web Views: | 29 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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