Alcohol Addiction. Peer Pressure. Handling Social Pressures. Peer Pressure 2/15/2012. Alcohol's Effect on One s Health and Future.

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1 Peer Pressure Handling Social Pressures Chapter 3 Peer Pressure is the influence of friends who are in your age group. It can influence the way you dress, your taste in music, and even in the way you walk or talk. Most of the time it is harmless.. Peer Pressure Alcohol's Effect on One s Health and Future HOWEVER, peer pressure can also influence you in ways that can damage you and your future. One of the ways it can have a negative impact is if that pressure causes you to experiment with drinking alcohol and/or experimenting with drugs. What are the Effects of Alcohol??? Alcohol is a powerful drugit can change the way people act, the way they think, and the way they feel. People may try alcohol to: Overcome feelings of shyness, inhibition, or unhappiness. To fit in with a specific social group. Alcohol addiction can creep up slowly and take complete control of a person s life. School, work, friends, family, plans for the future become meaningless to the problem drinker. Alcohol Addiction 1

2 Most people feel secure It (alcoholism) cannot happen to me! 2 Rules to Remember Choosing NOT to drink guarantees NOT becoming addicted to alcohol. Choosing to drink guarantees the chance of becoming addicted to alcohol. Alcohol Addiction There are responsibilities that everyone has regarding alcohol drinking and drinkers People should protect themselves from the hazards that drinking poses to their health and well-being. They also have a responsibility to protect themselves and others from the threat of people who drink and drive. What are your responsibilities to a friend who has been drinking? What can you do? Take the Keys Drive yourself Call your parents, their parents, a responsible adult Call a Taxi What can you do if you know someone who is in danger of become a problem drinker? Education!! Lots of support groups that help problem drinkers. (AA) Symptoms of Problem Drinkers Signs Changes in a person behavior. Loss of initiative Frequent lateness Absences from school or work Loss of friends Trouble with the law Signs Changes in a person behavior. Drinking alone Becoming secretive Trouble sleeping Drinks more than originally planned Suffers from memory loss or blackouts 2

3 Symptoms of Problem Drinkers Health Complications of Alcoholism include: Liver failure Heart disease Inflammation of the pancreas Cancer Brain Damage Convulsions Malnutrition Alcohol and Its Effects on Driving Alcohol Effects Driving! When driving you must have ALL your senses on red alert. No matter how good of a driver you are, alcohol WILL decrease your skill and WILL damage your judgment. Alcohol Effects Driving! Even one drink might be enough to impair your ability to operate a vehicle. Even a small amount of alcohol changes your coordination. At least ½ of all highway deaths are alcohol related. Alcohol Effects Driving! edu/hansondj/images/s afetyad2.gif This website is very eyeopening! See what you think??? Facts About Alcohol and Driving! How much is one drink? How much damage can just one drink do? One Drink can cause slight changes in feeling, may affect judgment or physical coordination. 3

4 Unlike food, alcohol is not digested but rather absorbed through the blood stream. It is quickly carried to all parts of the body. Alcohol has the greatest effect on the brain because the brain requires large amount of blood. A drinker s mental and physical abilities become diminished. Danger of Alcohol The Physical Effects of Alcohol! After a person has had one to three drinks, the chances of getting into a car crash are about seven times more likely? Why is that? Alcohol slows down the part of the brain that controls muscle movement and reflexes. The Physical Effects of Alcohol! Alcohol effects: Reaction Time Coordination Depth and Distance perception Speed perception Vision The Physical Effects of Alcohol! Mental Effects of Alcohol! Mental Effects of Alcohol! Alcohol doesn t just affect the part of your brain that controls your physical reactions. It also affects the part of the brain that controls the ability to reason. Alcohol can affect your judgment in a way that actually makes you feel that you are thinking more clearly than usual. Alcohol can send this very FALSE sense of security to drivers.this can be very dangerous! Alcohol also affects your inhibitions, the element of your personality that stops you from behaving without regard to possible consequences. The loss of inhibition can be very dangerous in a driver! 4

5 Laws/Test/Penalties Involving the use of Alcohol. In all States you must be 21 to purchase or consume alcohol. Each year in the United States under age drinking causes. BAC/DUI/DWI What do these mean? BAC- This stands for Blood Alcohol Concentration In most states, adult drivers with a BAC of.10 percent or higher can be charged. In Kentucky this.08 or higher! BAC/DUI/DWI What do these mean? DUI- This stands driving under the influence of Alcohol DWI- This stands for driving while intoxicated. These terms mean the same thing and are both often used. Teenage Drivers In teenage drivers a BAC level of.01 is enough for conviction of a DUI in many states. A police officer CAN still arrest you even if your BAC is below the requirement. You could fail the sobriety test or be driving recklessly Sobriety Test Sobriety Test- A group of tests used by police to determine if a driver is impaired. The tests assess balance, coordination and the ability of the driver to divide his attention to more than one task. TEST Breathalyzer Breathalyzer-is a device for estimating blood alcohol content (BAC) from a breath sample. Almost any drug can impair you ability to drive not just Alcohol. These drugs included: Over the counter Prescription Illegal Drugs 5

6 Types of Drugs Distractions while Driving! Depressants- these drugs slow down or depress the cns. Stimulants- these drugs speed up or stimulate the cns. Hallucinogens- these drugs are very dangerous and therefore illegal. Narcotics- these are strong depressant type drugs. Can cause stupor, coma, or even death Drivers can face many distractions while driving. You need to be aware of possible distractions and how to avoid or deal with them in order to be a safe and responsible driver. Distractions while Driving! Interesting Facts! Allstate Insurance in 2009 sights the following distractions that cause motor vehicle accidents in teenage and young adult drivers: Talking/texting on the phone Adjusting radio/music electronics Talking or socializing with passengers Eating a meal or snack Most drivers know that texting while driving is unsafe but continue to do so anyway. Kentucky is one of the top 5 states with the highest teenage mortality rate caused by automobile accidents. In every state rural areas had a higher rate of fatal teen driving crashes than metropolitan areas. Can you possibly explain this statistic? Why the increase with age? Interesting Facts! Speeding is actually the leading cause cited in fatal crashes involving teen drivers nationwide. Law enforcement cited speeding as a factor in 34.4% of fatal crashes nationally. Alcohol was identified as a contributing factor in 11.9% of crashes nationally during the seven years from 2000 through Lack of seatbelt use was listed as a contributing factor in 33.0% of fatal crashes involving teens nationwide 6