Learning the limits

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Deana Heitzman
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  In efforts to teach the importance of drinking responsibly, a local winery here opened its doors to more than 40 Airmen to partake in Italy's drink of choice, Oct. 11.

The event provided Airmen with round-trip transportation, free wine and dinner and sobriety and breathalyzer tests administered by the 31st Security Forces Squadron, Italian and local police and the Carabinieri.

The event gave Airmen a chance to experience Italian culture and receive hands-on education on how alcohol effects the body.   

"Tonight is about educating yourself about the importance of why we don't drink and drive," said Brig. Gen. Barre Seguin, 31st Fighter Wing Commander. "As you walk away from this event, I hope you are more educated on drinking responsibly."

To kick off the night, representatives from the various law enforcement agencies stressed the dangers of drinking and driving and Italian laws on alcohol consumption.

Airmen received a briefing from the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment office to express that service members may not feel intoxicated, however, feeling sober does not determine your blood alcohol content. 

"The bottom line with tolerance and how it relates to blood alcohol concentration is that the way you feel is not always an indicator of your BAC," said Staff Sgt. Darren Pennington, 31st Medical Operations Squadron mental health technician. "Just because you feel 'fine' does not mean your BAC is below the legal limit."

In Italy, the maximum BAC to drive legally is 0.05, compared to 0.08 in the states. Ultimately, one drink can affect service members BAC differently depending on their tolerance to alcohol and body size.

"The [BAC] of an average size male will raise by approximately 0.02 per standard drink where an average size female could raise by 0.03 per stand drink," said Pennington. "It also takes up to two hours to metabolize each standard drink, which if an average size male consumes three drinks within an hour, he will be over the Italian limit reaching a BAC of 0.60."

Throughout the night, Airmen indulged in wine, food and various snacks to include, potato chips and bread. As the night came to a close, Airmen and leadership lined up to test their BAC and see their results.

"Drinking the amount I did, I would not have expected my BAC to be that high," said Airman 1st Class Eric Yocom, 31st Maintenance Squadron. "It also made me realize what my limits are when I do go out drinking."

Knowing legal limits and personal limits are important to make responsible driving decisions. For more information on the effects of alcohol, contact ADAPT at 632-5321, or for a safe ride home, contact Aviano Against Drunk Driving at 0434-30-2233.