December 2023 — M2CC Newsletter

20 | M2CC - News www.m2cc.us DECEMBER 2023 EDITION
No More Late Night Alcohol Sales:
Army and Air Force Exchange
Stores to Ban the Practice Next
Month
The change on Army and
Air Force bases is meant
to support the Pentagon's
suicide prevention
initiative, which said that
limiting when alcohol is
available "reduces heavy
drinking and other adverse
outcomes associated
with alcohol misuse,"
including suicide,
according to Defense
Department research and
recommendations.
Other initiatives listed in
the recommendations by
the suicide prevention
committee, created by
Defense Secretary Lloyd
Austin in 2022, included
increasing the price of
alcohol sold on Pentagon
property, establishing
24/7 sobriety programs for
service members arrested
or convicted for alcoholrelated
crimes, and
banning the promotion of
alcohol on military bases.
"Consistent with the
Department of Defense's
Suicide Prevention and
Response Independent
Review Committee's
recommendations, the
Army and Air Force
Exchange Service
is aligning the times
alcohol can be sold to
be consistent with that
of DoD's other military
exchanges," Chris Ward, a
spokesperson for AAFES.
The latest initiative affects
161 Express, Class Six
and other exchange stores
worldwide, according to
Ward, who also indicated
that the change would
have little impact on sales
for that time frame.
"Alcohol sales after
2200 and before 0600 at
the 161 stores impacted
accounted for less than
1% of total alcohol sales
last year," he said.
Stars and Stripes reported
that 25% of AAFES
outlets sell alcohol in the
soon-to-be-banned time
frame. The publication
also reported that the
NavyExchange stopped
selling alcohol between
10 p.m. and 6 a.m. at
more than 100 locations
a decade ago as a way to
stop sexual assault and
alcohol-related offenses.
"Junior enlisted service
members spoke openly
about their own
excessive use, including
how they recognized
their own drinking was
problematic," according