Helpful Resources NMCPHC’s Health Promotion and Wellness Department has additional educational materials and resources to help you understand the negative effects of excessive alcohol use. • Impaired Driving Prevention

Toolbox

• Don’t Get Wrecked infographic

• Preventing Drug Abuse and Excessive Alcohol Use Webpage

Impaired Driving Prevention

In the United States, approximately 30 people die per day in crashes that involve alcohol-impaired drivers.1 Even at levels below the legal limit, alcohol can seriously impair judgment and coordination as well as slow reaction time. Drugged driving is also becoming a serious issue because drugs, even when prescribed by a medical provider, can have similar negative effects to alcohol such as impaired judgment, perception, and motor skills. In the 2013 Fleet and Marine Corps Health Risk Assessment, four percent of Navy and Marine Corps respondents indicated they had driven after having too much to drink, while 21 percent of active duty Navy respondents and 29 percent of active duty Marine Corps respondents said they engaged in heavy drinking.2 While four percent may not seem like a high number, no one should be driving when they've had too much to drink given the risks of accident, injury, and death. The effects of driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI) from alcohol or drugs on a Sailor or Marine’s career can be devastating both to that individual and to their unit. Below are tips to pass along to service members. Safe drinking strategies for the Holidays Holiday parties and family gatherings are events that many look forward to at the end of the year, however these environments may increase the risk for Sailors and Marines to engage in unhealthy alcohol induced behavior. You may think that having a few drinks isn’t enough to cause you to make bad decisions behind the wheel; it only takes one time to hurt yourself, others, and your career. Make safe choices about drinking and driving during the holiday season.

• Make arrangements to have a non-drinking designated driver • Have a family member or friend pick you up • Call a taxi. Have the number already programmed into your phone so you

have it readily available when needed • Plan to stay overnight • Check out additional tips for how to Celebrate Safely this Holiday Season –

Drink Responsibly

Use interactive media as a way to learn about safe drinking strategies Mobile apps and games can reinforce information and address common misconceptions about how alcohol affects the body. Share the links below to these interactive tools to Sailors and Marines as reminders to exhibit safe drinking behavior during the holiday season.

• Navy Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention (NADAP)’s Pier Pressure mobile app • Department of Defense’s That Guy Campaign • How strong is your mixed drink? Calculator

1 Injury Prevention and Control: Motor Vehicle Safety. The Centers for Disease Control.http://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/Impaired_Driving/. Updated 7 October 2014. Accessed November 2014. 2 Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center. EpiData Center Department. Fleet and Marine Corps Health Risk Assessment Annual Report, 2013. http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmcphc/Documents/health-promotion-wellness/general-tools-and-programs/HRA2013-annual-report.pdf.