Binge Drinking
Binge Drinking What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor? 1. What'll we do with a drunken sailor (x3) Earl-aye in the morning? Chorus: ? Way hay and up she rises (x3) ? Earl-aye in the morning? 2. Put him in the long boat till he's sober (x3) ? Earl-aye in the morning? (Chorus) ? 3. Keep him there and make 'im bale 'er (x3) ? Earl-aye in the morning? (Chorus) ? 4. Shave his belly with a rusty razor (x3) ? Earl-aye in the morning? (Chorus) ? 5. That’s what we do with a drunken sailor (x3) ? Earl-aye in the morning??? (Chorus) During the Vietnam War this could have been my theme song. The ship would sail for three months at a time up-and-down the coast of Vietnam, then go to a port for rest and relaxation, which meant pulling the plug and letting the crew loose. Now, 40 years later, it’s all a haze and I’m just happy to have lived through it. I hear the old English sea shanty and the words resonate with me. There are so many other verses in this traditional sea going song, some more colorful than others. Alcohol at sea is nothing new, as U.S. warships in the 1700’s and 1800’s routinely carried large quantities of rum. That is no longer the case, but alcohol abuse remains a concern. Focusing our attention on the U.S. Army for a moment, a while back I was ready a story by Gregg Zoroya in USA Today about the Army and how the rate of soldiers enrolling in alcohol treatment programs has doubled since 2003. Of course there is a correlation between the rise in alcohol abuse and the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. According to the article, the reports from counselors diagnosing alcoholism or alcohol abuse, such as binge drinking, has risen from 6.1 per 1000 soldiers in 2003, to about 11.4 per 1000 soldiers in early 2009. The article also stated that there was an increase of 12% in Marines who tested positive between 2005-2008 for drug and alcohol abuse. That is an alarming statistic, and U.S. military leaders are not unaware of the situation. Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told USA Today, “I’m sure there are many factors for the rising numbers…but I can’t believe the stress our people are under after eight years of combat isn’t taking a toll.” Alcohol abuse is a major method of dealing with stress for millions of people, who are just trying to deal with everyday life. Add to that the pressure of combat, being away from family for long deployments, the riggers of military life in a war zone and it’s understandable that the military has a serious issue to deal with. They know that alcohol is easily abused and can be the solution for many men and women. Moreover, the military also understands that they must reduce the strain, by reducing the number of deployed troops. The article stated that the military issued a directive to commanders “urging” them to have soldiers who test positive placed into treatment programs. The directive also said that, if necessary, some soldiers might need to be punished under Army regulations. The problem is, soldiers who failed the test may slip through the cracks and receive to treatment. If their disease has progressed, they may just be discharged and given no opportunity to be a part of a therapeutic community and move into recovery. That is an unfortunate reality. Even with the increased awareness of the military leadership over alcohol-related issues, enrollment in treatment programs between 2003 and the present have only risen by half a percent. The article also pointed out that personnel may not be allowed to go into treatment because of the need to keep the numbers up for combat deployments. Meanwhile, the numbers of related health issues, most notably suicides, has reached record numbers. Call it an inconvenient truth, but the U.S. military has work to do in taking care of its own. Just like the civilian world, it is much easier to ignore the problem, or punish those with the disease, than it is to really make an effort to bring people into treatment and help them regain their lives. Give the military credit for being aware of the growing problem and give them encouragement to follow up on plans to treat personnel for the disease, with the goal of retaining them as members of the armed forces. But if the whole plan is an empty promise, then about the only thing you can do with a drunken sailor is to “put ‘im in the long boat til he’s sober.” For more about Binge Drinking go to books Binge Drinking Binge Drinking Binge Drinking Binge Drinking Binge Drinking HOW TO USE THIS SITE:This site contains five MAIN pages that EVERYONE should read: RECOVERY… Yourself... Your Family... Your Friends... Your Community... 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