0-0-1-3 "Drink Responsibly" Program Published Dec. 18, 2012 By Cindy McClendon 17th Training Wing Safety GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- In spite of the national minimum legal drinking age, alcohol remains the drug of choice among adolescents, with 18 to 20 year-olds having the highest prevalence of alcohol dependence of any age group according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Air Force has a "zero-tolerance" policy toward underage drinking and problem use of alcohol. When problems arise, the Air Force applies a two-pronged approach of treatment and prevention. An integral part of the prevention approach is the Air Force's "Culture of Responsible Choices" program, which serves as a prevention and awareness campaign across every Air Force Base, emphasizing drinking as one of many lifestyle choices active-duty members make each and every day that could affect combat readiness. A standardized component of this initiative with respect to drinking is the 0-0-1-3 campaign. The concept behind 0-0-1-3 is to encourage responsible alcohol consumption among Air Force personnel in order to create a common social norm, blending it into Air Force core values, its culture, and eventually, its traditions. What does 0-0-1-3- mean? The "first and second zeros" restate the law of zero underage alcohol use and zero driving while under the influence, or impaired by alcohol. The "one" indicates one drink per hour (one 12-ounce beer, four to five percent alcohol, or 1.5 ounce shot of 80-proof alcohol, or one five-ounce glass of wine at 11 percent alcohol). The "three" stands for no more than three drinks per evening of alcohol use. The principles of 0-0-1-3 were initially piloted at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, in 2004 with success. Within the first two quarters, the base had shown a 27 percent decrease in DUI rates and a 74 percent decrease in underage drinking incidents. The United States Naval Academy also implemented the program in 2006. The 0-0-1-3 program has expanded from the Air Force to schools, colleges and communities nationwide with a goal of decreasing alcohol-related incidents. Several states have implemented 0-0-1-3 in order to curb underage drinking. References: http://www.army.mil/article/70190/ http://www.afcrossroads.com/websites/corc_docs/CoRC_CONOPS_Feb_2006.pdf Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 2000;61:85-94
