SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- October is a full month in terms of awareness: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Prescription Drug Misuse Awareness Month, to name a few.
The purpose of awareness months is to bring to light issues that may be easily overlooked or forgotten.
In honor of the above mentioned awareness months, there will be a “triple-ribbon” 5k fun run Oct. 7 beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the Eifel Powerhaus Fitness Center.
Come out and support your base helping agencies, and run in support of one or all of the awareness events.
Breast Cancer Awareness
According to Breastcancer.org, about one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. This cancer represents both the second highest death rate and the second most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in American women.
Fortunately, rates of breast cancer have been declining since 2000, in part due to better screening and the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy, which has been linked to a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
In women under the age of 45, breast cancer is more common among the African-American population. Overall, Caucasian women have the highest breast cancer rates in the U.S., however, African-American women have higher death rates associated with the disease.
A woman’s risk doubles if a first-degree relative has been diagnosed with it; however, less than 15 percent of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have a family member who has also been diagnosed with the disease.
So what can a woman do to reduce her risk of developing breast cancer? First off, maintaining a normal body weight is a protective factor. Women who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of developing the disease.
Additionally, women who are physically active throughout their life may help to lower breast cancer risk. Limiting alcohol intake also helps, as does pregnancy and breastfeeding.
If you have any questions on your risk for breast cancer, or want to schedule an appointment with a women’s health provider, please call 452-3161.
Domestic Violence Awareness
Domestic Violence is a community issue and cannot be addressed by a single program. It requires collaboration from everyone, and understanding where to receive help. When we break the silence and start talking about domestic violence, prevention can begin.
Take the opportunity NOW to take advantage of the Family Advocacy Program’s prevention programs: New Parent Support Program for couples who are expecting or have children under the age of 3; strength-based therapy for relationship counseling; anger management; and stress management.
Family Advocacy has clinical social workers and other helping professionals to assist you with marital and parenting questions. For more information call Family Advocacy at 0656561-8279. Domestic Abuse Victim Advocates are available 24 hours a day and can be reached at 0171-220-7531.
TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER!
Prescription Drug Misuse Awareness Month
Medicine abuse is any use of a prescription drug prescribed to you or someone else in order to get high, and/or in a manner other than for which it was prescribed.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, next to alcohol and marijuana, prescription drugs are amongst the most abused substances. In fact, in 2014, 15 million people in the U.S aged 12 or older abused prescription medications.
Military life can be stressful and substance abuse can be a complex issue that can drastically affect mission readiness, lead to Uniformed Code of Military Justice/legal problems and have a serious negative impact on both individual and community quality of life.
Spangdahlem’s leadership encourages Sabers (including both active-duty, family members and civilians) to seek help early. Our entire community cares, and you have access to trained experts to help prevent and treat substance abuse problems.
If you or someone you know has used a medication in this way, please seek help.
Help for substance abuse can be reached from the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment clinic at 06565-61-8321 or Adolescent Substance Abuse Counseling Services at 06565-61-7259 for Spangdahlem or 06565-61-94810 for Bitburg High School.