APRIL 27, 2016, SAN ANTONIO (NNS) – Students assigned to Naval Technical Training Center Lackland attended a drug and alcohol awareness event April 21 as part of the Navy’s Alcohol Awareness Month.
Students from the Master-at-Arms “A” School, Corrections, and Military Working Dog courses came together to discuss the issues and consequences alcohol may have on Sailors and their career if not used responsibly.
NTTC Lackland’s Drug and Alcohol Program Advisors, Chief Master-at-Arms Andrew Williams and Damage Controlman 1st Class Jonathan Rider, discussed the importance of planning and decision making when alcohol is a factor in one’s plan.
Sailors had the opportunity to wear special goggles that simulate the effects of intoxication and perform normal tasks such as walking, playing catch, and riding a scooter — tasks normally accomplished with ease when alcohol has not been introduced into the body.
“Sailors have a misconception of what drunk is,” said Williams. “They need to understand how quickly decision making and the body’s reflexes are affected once alcohol is ingested into the body. When students witnessed a participant ride a scooter through an obstacle course with and without the ‘drunk goggles,’ they were able to see firsthand the effects alcohol has on the body.”
Rider informed the Sailors about a mobile application released recently. The application, “Pier Pressure,” provides Sailors with numerous resources in regard to the Navy’s “Keep What You Earned” campaign including safe drinking tips, the Safe Ride Home program, a blood-alcohol content calculator, and self-referral information.
Also speaking at the event was Eddie Jimenez, survivor of a drunk-driving accident. Jimenez provided his personal account of the day when a drunk driver took the life of his son and his son’s friend.
When asked about the training, Seaman Vincent Dimarco, from Delran, New Jersey, said, “It was very touching. I would never want anything like that to happen to me [because of] the fact that someone’s actions took the life of his [Jimenez’s] son and [his] son’s friend, and he could not stop it. The account of the accident made me realize that not only can a drunk driver hurt themselves, but also the lives of innocent bystanders. People often do not realize their actions can have such an impact on others until something like this happens.”
The Navy Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention’s mission is to support fleet readiness by fighting alcohol abuse and drug use. They disseminate quarterly e-grams and provide Sailors and commands with resources related to drug and alcohol abuse prevention and response.
The Center for Security Forces provides specialized training to more than 23,000 students each year. It has 14 training locations across the United States and around the world where training breeds confidence.
For more information about the Navy Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention, visit us at http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/21st_century_sailor/nadap/Pages/default2.aspx/.