Alcohol

Driving Under the Influence

• DWI & DUI: Driving while intoxicated/ driving under the influence.

• BAC: Blood alcohol concentration, the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood.

• If under 21 there is no acceptable BAC percentage. ZERO TOLERANCE.

• Illinois .08.

• http://buzzeddriving.adcouncil.org/sign.php#video

Under The Influence

• It is a crime to drink and drive!!!– Impaired driving is the nations most frequently

committed violent crime. Most people don’t consider it a crime to drink and drive. Each year drunk drivers cost the U.S. 45 billion $ in lost productivity, property damages, medical and other costs. The grief and personal loss they cause cannot be measured. They are the result of ignorance and poor judgment.

Facts about Alcohol• Nearly half of all fatal car crashes are alcohol-related.

• Annually, more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. alone are caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

• An ounce of alcohol contains the amount of calories equivalent to those in a baked potato or a glass of milk.

• In the United States, beer ranks fourth in consumption of any kind of beverage behind soft drinks, milk and coffee.

• Binge drinking is generally defined as the consumption of 5 or more drinks on 1 occasion.

• Each year, thousands of people choke on their own vomit while intoxicated.

• By the time students are in the eighth grade, 55 percent of students have at least tried alcoholic beverages.

• A first time drunk driving offender on average has driven drunk 87 times prior to being arrested.

• The American Automobile Association (AAA) said that teens who has 4 to 6 drinks are 90 times more likely to die in a crash than a sober driver.

BAC

• The effect that alcohol has on one’s judgment and physical coordination is determined by the BAC level.

• BAC levels depend on the physical variable of individual’s: body weight, and type, age, personal metabolic rate, alcohol tolerance, emotional state, other medications, the amount of food consumed, the time span of drinking, the number and strength of the drinks and sex.

Effects of AlcoholBAC Social Effects Physical Effects Driving Effects

.03

1 Drink

Elated, pleasant feeling. May affect judgment.

Slight change in feeling and

physical coordination.

Reduced complex reaction time and divided attention

.06

2 Drink

Inhibitions lessened. Impulsive behavior. Less concerned with minor irritations and restraints.

Simple reaction time

slowed.Impaired tracking, skilled psychomotor tasks & ocular motor control.

.09

3

Exaggerated behaviors, talkative & noisy.

Slurred speech.

Diminished coordination.

Information processing

deficit.

.12

4

Impaired verbal and fine coordination skills.

Staggering gait, clumsiness.

Reduction in concentrated attention & perception.

Alcohol and the Body

• The kidneys eliminate 5% of alcohol through urine.

• The lungs exhale 5%.

• About 20% of alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream from the stomach.

• Alcohol affects the upper part of the brain, where self-control and other learned behavior is stored.

REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT EVEN AWARE OF THESE

CHANGES

Alcohol is a Depressant

• Alcohol affects the central nervous system as an anesthetic, lowering the activity of the brain.

• Because the brain requires much blood to function, alcohol affects it more immediately than any other organ.

Alcohol Poisoning

• Signs– Unconscious or semi-consciousness.

– Slow respiration (breaths) of eight or less per minute or lapses between breaths of more than eight seconds.

– Cold, clammy, pale or bluish skin.

• In the event of alcohol poisoning, these signs and symptoms will most likely be accompanied by a strong odor of alcohol.  While these are obvious signs of alcohol poisoning, the list is certainly not all inclusive.

Avoid Alcohol

• Alcohol-related traffic collisions are the number one cause of death and disability among teens.

• Alcohol use also is linked with deaths by; drowning, fire, suicide, and homicide.

• Even if you are not drinking but are around people who are you have an increased risk of being injured, involved in a car crash, or affected by violence.

Jacqueline Saburido

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5-bz3GVNtc

Alcohol and the Law

• If you are under 21 it is illegal to buy, possess or consume alcohol.

• Teens who break the law can be arrested, fined, and sentenced to a youth detention center.

• By breaking the law the offender risks both damaging his or her reputation, and losing the trust and respect of friends, family members, and trusted adults.

DUI

• If you are pulled over on suspicion of DUI, the officer will require you to take a breathalyzer, urine, or coordination test.

• Any refusal to submit will be used against you at trial. Your license will be suspended, for a mandatory of 6 months for 1st offense and 36 months for second offense.

Underage DWI

• Use it/Lose it- zero tolerance law penalties apply to drivers under age 21 who have any trace of alcohol in their systems or who refuse to submit to chemical testing.

• Purchase or attempt to purchase, will have his/her driving privileges suspended or revoked for one year.

• Illegal transportation, may have driving privileges suspended for one year

• http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/traffic_safety/driving_under_the_influence/uselose.html

TIME

• Only the passage of time can reduce a BAC level at the rate of .02% per hour.

• Coffee, cold showers, and other attempts to stimulate an intoxicated person for driving will only wake them up; they can’t sober up. The BAC remains the same and judgment remains impaired.

Risky Driving

• http://www.safemotorist.com/articles/deadliest_days_on_the_road.aspx

Recognizing Impaired Drivers• Changes lanes frequently. Passes improperly.• Overshoots or ignores traffic signs and signals.• Drives at night without lights, or delays turning

lights on.• Hugs or drives on the shoulder of the road.• Straddles the center line.• Keeps window open in cold weather.• Sticks head out of the window while driving.• Turns too wide at intersections and corners, drives

to closely behind other vehicles.• Drives or swerves into oncoming traffic and

corners

Impaired Drivers

• Commit an act of friendship, the best time to recognize an impaired driver is before they get in the drivers seat.

• Offer to drive them home, take their keys or call a cab. They’ll insist they’re fit to drive, and most likely argue. It won’t be easy but don’t buy it. Intervene!!!

Party Right

• The only way to insure that your driving is not impaired is to refrain from drinking or to designate a sober driver. If you are 21 or older and choose to drink, exercise responsible judgment :don’t drink if you intend to drive. Know how to protect others from poor decisions, and recognize impaired driving behaviors.

Alcohol, Violence, and Sexual Activity

• Teens who drink alcohol are more likely to be victims or perpetrators of violent crimes.

• Alcohol impairs a person’s judgment, lowers inhibitions, and compromises moral standards.

• Teens who use alcohol are more likely to become sexually active at an earlier age, engage in sexual activity more often, and engage in sexual activity with out using protection.

• Careless sexual activity can lead to unplanned pregnancy, STI’s, and emotional problems.

Getting Wired

• Drugs are present in 10-22% of drivers involved in crashes.

• Illegal in all states is to drive a car under the influence of alcohol, drugs or a combination of both. Ingestion of illegal drugs poses considerable threat to the driving public as well as to you.

How Drugs Affect Driving

• http://www.padui.org/effect.htm

Alcohol and Drug Interactions

• Alcohol and Drugs DO NOT MIX!!!!

• Multiplier Effect- The medication has a greater or different effect than if it were taken alone.

• Alcohol may slow down a drugs absorption by the body

Alcohol and Drug Interactions

• Synergistic Effect:– Mixing alcohol with other drugs, the body

detects alcohol in the bloodstream, it focuses on the elimination of the alcohol and ignores the other drugs. Since a “normal dosage” of a drug factors in the elimination of that drug from your body, the body’s failure to eliminate part of that drug increases the side effects of that drug because, as far as the body is concerned, you have overdosed on that particular drug.

HELP

• Al-Anon- helps families and friends of alcoholics. http://www.al-anon.org/

• AA- helps alcohol users of all ages. www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/

• NACA- provides help for children of alcoholics. www.nacoa.org/