The White Falcon - 21.02.1986, Blaðsíða 2

Choice and common sense = Drinking wisely
By Capt. John M. Huddleston
An old Chinese drinking adage states: First a man
takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the
drink takes a man. The drink taking the man roughly
translate to the abuse of alcohol. The military
services has many programs to combat the effects
of alcohol abuse.
Alcohol is a legal substance. It is readily
available, socially acceptable and resonably
inexpensive. It's also a central nervous system
depressant. It's effect depends on the amount of
alcohol consumed, the amount of time it took to
consume, how much alcohol was in the beverage,
whether the consumer had food in his or her
stomach and whether or not the consumer's internal
organs involved with eliminating the alcohol are
functioning, etc.
The key to the wise consumption of alcohol is
knowing howto do so in a responsible manner. What
is responsible drinking? If you like definitions, here
is one from Air Force regulations: “Drinking alcohol
(or abstaining) in such a manner as not to interfere
with social, occputional, physical or mental
functioning. “
Two simple guidelines can be used for drinking
wisely: choice and common sense. Choice means
Personal Perspective—
What does black history month mean to you?
it's up to you to decide how much you want to drink,
when, where and why. Using common sense means
to think before you drink. Be aware of the dangers
of alcohol abuse, know your own limits, be familiar
with external enviromental factors.
Experience shows that persons who lost the ability
to when, where and why they drink probably have a
problem with their drinking. The same goes for
those who don't exercise common sense while or
after drinking.
Help is available. Air Force Social Actions,
located in building T-170, offers a program for Air
Force personnel and their dependents. It includes a
seminar that looks at alcohol, its effects on the
body, the disease concept of alcoholism and some of
the ramifications in terms of the individual and
society.
The Navy Counseling and Assistance Cneter, in
building T—128, offers both substance abuse
counseling and educational assistance. The Family
Services Center offers many types of counseling and
educational programs geared towards marital
problems, spouse and child abuse, stress related
problems, etc.
If you choose to drink, use common sense and
exercise your right to choose when, where and why.
TSat Elliot Moore —
It's an opportunity to
expose what Black
Americans have
contributed to America.
BM2 Ernest McClendon
NAVFAC— It means a lot
to me, I plan to attend all
the official functions.
AXCS Raymond Morin
AIMD — To me it means
the observance of a
history that not a lot of
attention has been paid to
in the past.
SKI Allen Young
Supply— I'd like to ...
have the nation reflect on
the things black
individuals have done on
more than one particular
time of the year.
THE WHITE FALCON is published weekly by the Ice-
land Defense Force Public Affairs Office for Mil-
itary and civilian personnel and their dependents
stationed in Iceland. It is printed by the Naval
Station Print Shop with appropriated funds per
NAVSO P-35. Photographs are printed by the Naval
Station Photo Lab. Opinions expressed herein are
not necessarily those of IDF, DoD, or the U.S.
government. The White Falcon office is located in
Bldg. 936 on the NATO Base, Ext. 4612. Submit art-
icles prior to 4 p.m. on Fridays.
COMICEDEFOR..................Rear Adm. t.K. Anderson
Public Affairs Officer.......CDR Dorothy J. Schmidt
Assistant PAO.....................Fridthor Kr. Eydal
Editorial Staff
Advisor...........................JOC John Petersen
Editor.............................101 Howard Watters
Reporter/Layout.........................J02 Ed Baker
Reporter..........................J02 Chiquita Land
Reporter/Layout...................J02 Dave Sawyer
Photographer.................PHAN Patricia Foraker
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The White Falcon February 21, 1036