Newspapers / Olin Profile (Brevard, N.C.) / Sept. 1, 1984, edition 1 / Page 2
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OlinZ^ An Alcohol And Drug Abuse Test It’s estimated that one out of ten people in this country abuse alcohol and drugs. That means 2,000 people in Transylvania County, 600 people in Brevard and 260 people in Olin’s Pisgah Forest Plant. The experts believe that most of us don’t have the facts about alcohol and drugs. Take this test to discover if you know the facts. 1. There’s less chance of getting drunk on beer or wine than whisky or cocktails? FALSE: There is the same amount of alcohol in a can of beer or glass of wine as in a cocktail or shot of whisky. If you drink more than one of any type of drink per hour you are drinking more than your body can safely absorb. 2. After drinking wait an hour and drink coffee before you drive. FALSE: Only time, not coffee or fresh air, will reduce the alcohol level in your body. Each drink requires 90 minutes before it has no effect. After you have had five drinks, chances are it will be at least three hours before you can drive safely. 3. If you drink, don’t drive and you will be safe. FALSE: You may not have a car accident, but alcohol is related in up to 50 percent of all deaths from falls and fires. Your suicide risk is 30 times greater. Heavy drinking also increases your chances for brain damage, cancer, heart disease, liver change and ulcers. 4. If a person holds a steady job, chances are they aren’t an alcoholic or a drug abuser. FALSE: A job is often the last thing affected. The alcoholic or drug abuser needs the money to buy more. Alcoholics also believe that if they are working they can’t really be alcoholics. 5. The drug abuser is really only hurting himself or herself. FALSE: The drug abusers often hurt their family by using money for drugs instead of necessities. There are also frequent and violent family arguments. Drug abuse may lead to jail and loss of job and community respect—all of which can cause hardship for a family. 6. If you have an alcohol or drug abuser in your family, find and destroy all quan tities and demand they stop or get out. FALSE: These tactics don’t work and may only increase the feelings which lead the family member to drink or take drugs. Instead seek help in handling this problem. Olin’s EAP may be a place to start. 7. Getting free of alcohol or drug addiction takes a long time. FALSE: There are treatment programs that can turn the individual’s life around in 30 to 60 days. 8. One drink won’t affect your driving. FALSE: If you take just one drink and then drive you may court disaster. Statistics show that an accident is three times more likely after only one drink. 9. The only way to stay out of trouble on the highway is to not drink when you go out. FALSE: If you wish to drink and still drive, follow these rules. Eat before you drink. Drink slowly. Know what and how much you are drinking. Stop drinking well before you need to drive. 10. People who drink or use drugs heavily are looking for a good time. FALSE: They are trying to escape problems, fears and painful feelings. Unfortunately the abuse of these substances usually makes matters worse. Three True Stories Do You Know This Person? YES NO 1. Needs a drink to get over a hangover? □ □ 2. Likes to drink alone? □ □ 3. Loses time from work due to drinking? □ □ 4. Needs a drink at a definite time of day? □ □ 5. Finds it harder to get along with others? □ □ 6. Suffers loss of memory while or after drinking? □ □ 7. Finds efficiency or drive decreasing? □ □ 8. Drinks to relieve stress, fear, shyness, insecurity? □ □ 9. Finds that drinking is harming or worrying the whole family? □ □ 10. Becomes more moody, jealous or irritable after drinking? □ □ Use Olin’s Employee Assistance Program to learn what you should do next. Three recovering addicts who live and work in the Brevard area agreed to tell their stories to Olin employees and their families through the PROFILE. Bridgeway, an alcohol and drug abuse treatment center in Brevard, arranged the interviews. Our purpose is to make you aware that alcoholics and drug addicts are not bad people, but people with a terrible disease that can be put into remission. A family member, a friend or a fellow worker who recognizes the disease and takes the cor rect action to help the alcoholic or drug addict may prevent years of agony for the addict and the addict’s family. Learn what you can do by contacting Olin’s Employee Assistance Program. These stories are true, but names have been changed and details altered. STEVE Steve came from a family where drink ing was a sin. He saw that the people in his community who had problems were often heavy drinkers. When he was 14, his friends urged him to take his first drink. He got drunk and passed out. He decided his parents were right and swore to never drink again. By the time he was 16, his attitude about liquor was that it was “great”. It made him feel confident and gave him a group of people to hang out with. For the next 10 years Steve built his life around drinking. He usually found jobs where he was alone and could drink. He played a guitar and sang in taverns, which got him a lot of free beer. He went to college where heavy drinking was certainly accepted. For Steve, drinking fit his image as something creative people and well-to-do- people do. Steve went to work helping handicap ped people. He found fellow workers who were also heavy drinkers. First it was after work, but eventually Steve was drinking on the job. Without drink Steve felt ill at ease with people and inadequate. He told himself and his wife that he needed to drink because of the stress of his job. He told his fellow workers he drank because of his wife. At work Steve was difficult to get along with. He was known as “Attila The Hun”. Soon he wasn’t getting promotions. His subordinates were becoming his superiors. One day he passed out in his office. “I resigned before they could can me,” said Steve. “I then stiff armed it or didn’t drink for about three months.” Without help Steve soon was back drinking. He couldn’t hold a job. He was drinking around the clock. He drank in his basement. His wife avoided him. Suicide thoughts were frequent. Steve finally took himself to a local mental health agency which immediately put him in contact with A.A. That was four years ago and Steve hasn’t had a drink since. But he came close. “I was riding the pink cloud-a euphoria you have after starting A.A. and stopping drinking. My problem was that I didn’t accept the total A.A. program and philosophy.” Steve still hadn’t replaced drink with something else in his life. “One day I drove to several liquor stores and parked and finally walked up to one. I was able to get back in my car without a purchase and drive off. I felt I had just narrowly escaped being run over by a truck.” Steve went back to A.A. and fully committed himself to the program. He’s again steadily employed helping people and has stabilized his family and economic life. ALLEN Allen came from a family that never drank. He took his first drink when he joined the army. He blacked out and came to on a bus back to camp. Today Allen knows that this experience was a sign that he was a candidate for alcoholism and drug addiction. But back in the early 50’s Allen was on the fast track and alcohol didn’t seem to be getting in his way. He got an engineer ing degree, married, began a family and pursued a promising military career that eventually took him to high military rank. Allen frequented the officer clubs and rarely missed a happy hour. He was aware that he drank more than others, but he saw his drinking as part of his fast track lifestyle. This denial of a drinking problem is typical for most alcoholics. Allen denied that his drinking had anything to do with poorer and poorer military assignments. He blamed his family, the military, his bad luck. Eventually his family left him. The Army asked for his early retirement. Allen’s response: “The Hell with you.” Now Allen was approaching the bottom. He moved in with his mother and drank her up in six months. He lost an excellent job after only three months. He was having frequent black outs where he didn’t remember long stretches of time. There were numerous minor car accidents. He began to mix prescription drug abuse with his liquor. Still Allen thought, “I can quit any time.” Allen in fact did stop drinking and us ing drugs for several months. But an old officer friend showed up and the next thing Allen remembers is trying to turn his car upright on an interstate. The next thing he remembers is laying close to death at the door of his apartment with blood running from his nose and mouth. Two members of Alcoholics Anonymous visited Allen in the hospital. They told him their stories, which were much like his. There were no accusa tions, only their testimonial that A.A. worked for them. Allen started the A.A. program. He stopped drinking; got an outstanding job, remarried and was reunited with his children and mother. But Allen admits he didn’t fully accept the A.A. program. He drifted away from attending A.A. meetings and socializing with A.A. members. Suddenly he was back drinking. For tunately his wife went immediately to Al- Anon, a support group for the families of alcoholics. Her prompt and proper response to Allen’s alcoholism helped get (continued on next page) People On The Move Wanda G. Turpin has been promoted to process engineer in the technical depart ment. Mrs. Turpin joined Olin in 1983 and was an engineer in the process engineer ing department at the time of this promotion. Steven R. Earle has been promoted to Manager, Area Engineering-Film. Earle joined Olin in 1981 as a staff research chemist in the Olin Research Council. At the time of this promotion, he was a research associate in the technical department. Frederick J. Beerwart has been employed at Olin Works as an engineer. Beerwart received a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
Olin Profile (Brevard, N.C.)
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Sept. 1, 1984, edition 1
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