Keep What You Earned
April designated as Alcohol Awareness Month
03 April 2017
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Indeed, alcohol misuse can greatly impact all aspects of our lives - from health and well-being, to social connections, physical and emotional safety, and mission readiness.
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and with sunny days and cookouts right around the corner, it's a good time to remind your shipmates to plan ahead, drink responsibly and keep what they've earned.
"Sailors work incredibly hard," said Dorice Favorite, Navy Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention (NADAP) director. "Through our Keep What You've Earned campaign, we're excited to offer Sailors tools they can use to promote a culture of responsible drinking in the Navy this April and year-round."
NADAP research has shown that peer-to-peer engagement is one of the best ways to influence behavior and promote responsible choices. With that in mind, the NADAP team needs everyone - including Drug and Alcohol Program advisors, deckplate leaders and family members - to be a part of Alcohol Awareness Month.
In fact, the program encourages commands and readiness groups to host events to raise alcohol awareness this month.
"Grassroots events can really make a difference," Favorite said. "We have everything you need to execute a first-class event, all available for download at our website. Even if you don't put on an in-person event, we encourage you to share our social media content on your personal and organizational pages, or just watch one of our realistic public service announcements with a shipmate. It could be the one thing that saves a friend from making a very bad decision."
The Keep What You've Earned (KWYE) campaign encourages responsible drinking among Sailors by celebrating the achievements in their Navy careers. Recognizing their hard work and dedication reminds Sailors of their accomplishments-and how much they have to lose if they make poor choices regarding alcohol.
For more information on the Keep What You've Earned campaign, click
here.