April: National Alcohol Awareness Month

  • Published
  • By Katherine L. Cruise
  • Military Pathways
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  With April being National Alcohol Awareness month, and April 11 National Alcohol Screening Day, the Military Pathways program is encouraging service members, veterans and their families to take advantage of the free, anonymous alcohol-use screenings at www.DrinkingIQ.org.

Military Pathways, which offers the online screenings, reports that more than 30,000 screenings for alcohol-use disorders have been completed since it started the program in 2006.

The screenings asks individuals to answer a simple set of questions about their drinking habits. After completing a screening, service members receive feedback as to whether their symptoms are consistent with alcohol misuse as well as a list of resources on how and where to get further evaluation and help.

At Minot Air Force Base, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment, ADAPT, program provides members treatment for substance abuse problems as well.

Visitors to the screening site can also access a host of articles, videos and other information that gives them, among other things, tips on how to cut down on alcohol use. Several free, downloadable mobile applications for mental health are also available.

"Using alcohol to manage a life problem - what professionals call 'self-medicating' - is never a good idea. Not only does a drinking problem emerge, the original problem goes unfixed. A successful career in the military means knowing when to draw the line with alcohol, and when to get help when the drinking is out of control," said Robert Ciulla, Ph.D., Mobile Health director for the Defense Department's National Center for Telehealth and Technology. "The anonymous self-assessment gives individuals the opportunity to check and see if their drinking is a problem and how to get help or cut back."

Military installations and health-care providers around the world are recognizing National Alcohol Screening Day and National Alcohol Awareness Month by holding events to reach out and educate people about alcohol use and abuse.

According to the 5th Medical Group's Mental Health Flight, statistics show that there is a spike in ADAPT referrals during the month of April, including those for underage drinking as well.

Every alcohol awareness event is unique to the local population's needs. Some locations will hold events that include engaging activities, educational brochures and screenings. Others will just offer information about the screenings.

Here at Minot AFB, the Mental Health Flight will be holding an Alcohol Screening Day event at the Base Exchange on April 19, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This will be in conjunction with the base's Wingman Day.

Airmen have the opportunity to come in and complete an alcohol self-assessment. The assessment can potentially help Airmen prevent unhealthy drinking habits before they start.

(Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs contributed to this article)