How To Drink Responsibly

Richland County’s DUI Task Force is kicking of a marketing campaign to encourage the public to pay attention to the size, content and amount of alcohol they consume each time they drink. The Domino Strategy on “How to Drink Responsibly” will be shared with the public at this year’s Health Fair. The Domino Strategy recommends that individuals follow responsible drinking guidelines defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service.

When responsible drinking guidelines are not followed, a “Domino Effect” of negative outcomes can happen. Just like one domino tips the next, a chain reaction begins to occur. It can be the same with drinking. With each drink, there is a deterioration of judgment, alertness, self-control, reasoning and memory. It becomes harder to detect danger and make good decisions. That’s why following responsible drinking guidelines as closely as possible is so important.

The Domino Strategy provides specific information that enables people to compare their individual drinking patterns against a clear set of low-risk guidelines. It provides the same type of clarity as guidelines to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and poor dental health. Simply put, The Domino Strategy is designed to help people who drink alcohol, reduce their risk of harming themselves or others.

Do You Count? The number of alcohol beverages you consume. Why Count Your Drinks? When you lose count you lose control. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service guidelines are: No alcohol beverages for people under 21, operating any type of vehicle or machinery, pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breast feeding, recovering alcoholic or drug dependent or using certain medications. No more than one standard alcohol beverage per day for women. No more than two alcohol beverages per day for men.

How Big Is It? The size of the alcohol beverages you consume. Why Does Size Count? Big drinks can have big consequences. Size does count when it comes to responsible alcohol use. Standard drink sizes are: 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. of wine or 1.5 oz. of 80-proof distilled spirits.

What’s Inside? The percent of alcohol in your drink. Why Know What’s Inside? Not all alcohol is created equal. A long island ice tea contains more alcohol than a standard drink, and a micro-brew beer has a higher percentage of alcohol. One drink could put you over the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service recommended guideline.

FACE describes the Domino Strategy like this: Most people don’t realize that more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men can put our safety and health at risk. The Domino Strategy on How to Drink Responsibly was developed by FACE – a national non-profit organization whose mission is to raise public awareness on the impact of alcohol misuse and abuse and provide realistic solutions that promote positive change.

For more information or learn how you can make a difference contact Mary Friesz, Richland County DUI Task Force Coordinator at the Richland County Health Department 406-433-2207 or mfriesz@richland .org.