Hickam Mental Health Team to host Alcohol Awareness Week Published March 28, 2014 By Tech. Sgt. Terri Paden 15th Wing Public Affairs JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- In observance of Alcohol Awareness Week, the Hickam Mental Health Flight will host several educational events on JBPHH April 7-11. According to Staff Sgt. Amanda Villa, 15th Medical Operations Squadron Mental Health Flight Resiliency and Outreach specialist, the purpose of Alcohol Awareness Week is to educate Airmen of the dangers associated with binge drinking and to promote a culture of responsible drinking and decision making. "During this week, we will be encouraging people to learn more about their drinking patterns, learn what a standard drink is and how to make responsible choices and decisions while drinking," she said. According to the American Society of Addiction and Medicine, four or more standard drinks for a woman and five or more for a man is considered binge drinking. Binge drinking is responsible for many unintentional injuries such as trips and falls, car crashes and accidental drowning. In addition, binge drinking has been associated with many health problems including liver disease, sexual dysfunction, high blood pressure, stroke and alcohol poisoning. However, Villa said the consequences of irresponsible drinking could extend past health concerns to personal injury if an Airman makes the unwise decision to drink and drive. "We like to educate people on responsible drinking because it is important for them to understand what they are drinking and how it will affect them," Villa said. "One standard drink for a male will produce a blood alcohol content of .02 and .03 for a female. The legal limit for a DUI in the state of Hawaii is .08. Even if one is pulled over and has a BAC of less than .08 they can still be considered under the influence, so we like to tell people not to drive after having any drinks." A standard drink containing liquor is 1.5 ounces, which is one regular sized shot glass. Airmen should beware that many mixed drinks often contain three to five shots of alcohol. For example, the island favorite Mai Tai could potentially put an Airman over the legal limit to drive. Airmen who frequently engage in binge drinking or make poor decisions while drinking should seek professional help. Villa said the Alcohol Drug Abuse and Prevention Treatment program is available for Airmen who need assistance. "If someone feels that they drink too much or people have made comments about their drinking, it's best they go to ADAPT before a negative incident like a DUI occurs," she said. Though there is often fear that a visit to ADAPT may ruin one's career, Villa maintains that self-referred treatment through ADAPT is non-punitive. In other words, members should not receive disciplinary action from their command for seeking treatment. In addition to ADAPT, there are a number of useful resources available, such as Airmen Against Drunk Driving (AADD), 448-RIDE/LIFT, the Joint Enlisted Association (JEA) Cares program, 473-1222, and island taxi services for afterhours or weekend help if designated driver plans fall through. To mitigate adverse actions and keep alcohol related incidents at bay, Villa advises Airmen to always have a plan, be informed, make responsible choices when drinking alcohol, and to be good wingmen to one another. For more information, contact the Mental Health Flight at 448-6377. The office is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.