The Navy Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention (NADAP) Office launched a social marketing campaign on drinking responsibly on February 29.

The campaign, called “Domino Strategy on How to Drink Responsibly,” has the following aim, as shared by Dorice Favorite, director of Navy Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention: “This social marketing campaign encourages Sailors to pay attention to the size, content and amount of alcohol they consume each time they drink… The strategy recommends that Sailors follow responsible drinking guidelines defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.”

These guidelines suggest a 0-1-2 approach to drinking: zero for people who are under 21, operating any type of vehicle, pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding, recovering alcoholics or chemically dependent, and using certain medications; at most one standard drink per day for women; and no more than two standard drinks per day for men.

The campaign’s messages are divided into three phases. The first asks the question “Do you count?,” and remind Sailors to equate counting drinks and reduction of personal risks. The second and third phases, on the other hand, ask the questions “How big is it?” and “What’s inside?,” reminding Sailors regarding what constitutes a standard drink, and urging them to be conscious of the contents of their drinks.

Favorite shared further: “We’re not telling people not to drink if they are of age to drink but we want them to drink responsibly. Substance abuse reduces a command’s ability to accomplish its mission and is inconsistent with Navy core values.”