Drunk Driving BriefingBy CDT McQueen, CDT Holm and CDT Chappell

Content• ASU ROTC P.A.C.E. Plan for Drinking and Driving• Drunk Driving in North Carolina• Alcohol Impairment• Tools for Law Enforcement• Consequences• Appalachian State University Implications• How the body processes alcohol

ASU ROTC P.A.C.E./ Buddy Plan• At ASU we want our cadets to stay safe for many reasons, the

number one reason being so that all cadets can commission and become officers in the U.S. Army

• We have developed a P.A.C.E. plan to guide our cadets when they are out on the town and help them stay safe.

• P: primary course of action• A: alternate course of action• C: contingency plan• E: emergency plan

P.A.C.E Plan• P: Primary• Always have a battle buddy with you when you are out on the

town• Always have a designated driver,• That driver should not be drinking

P.A.C.E Plan• A: Alternate• Call someone, call a buddy or a taxi• You should always have at least one friend predetermined that can

give you a ride if need be.• Call a taxi, taxis are relatively cheap less than $6 will get you almost

anywhere in Boone• iTaxi, Boone Student Beeper and similar services are prohibited.• Boone all weather taxi: 828-268-4470• Boone Taxi: 828-266-3860• Tipsy Taxy: 828-719-8477

P.A.C.E Plan• C: Contingency• Call an MS IV• There will always be an MS IV on duty during the week that

will be available to give people rides• This should not be used until all other options are exhausted

P.A.C.E Plan• E: Emergency • Call an ROTC cadre member if you are unable To get in contact with an MSIV or you Cadet Chain of Command.• Cadre members numbers will be distributed at a later date

Drunk Driving in North Carolina• Driving While Impaired (DWI) is defined

as having consumed enough alcohol in order to possess an alcohol concentration of .08 or higher or while being under the influence of an impairing substance.

• This may have several devastating consequences such as: vehicle and/or property damage, injury to other motorists, pedestrians and yourself, and possible death to yourself or any other.

Alcohol Impairment

Tools for Law Enforcement• Breathalyzer• Estimate BAC by

measuring alcohol in a breath sample

• Field Sobriety Test• Only 3 approved by

NHTSA: one leg stand, walk and turn and the horizontal gaze

Consequences in North Carolina

• 1st Conviction: license revocation for one year, fine up to $2,000 and no less than 24 hours in jail, 24 hours of community service

• 2nd Conviction: license revocation for four years if found guilty within three years of first offense, $1,000 fine and no less than seven days and no more than 12 months in jail

• 3rd Conviction: permanent license revocation, felony if last three DWI’s occurred in the last seven years, one-three years imprisonment

• If under 21: license revocation for one year, which includes attempting to purchase alcohol

Office of Student Conduct at Appalachian State University• Code 4.02 X states: “Possession or use of alcoholic beverages by

any student under the age of 21; or the abuse of alcohol privileges, including driving while impaired; or providing alcoholic beverages to any student under the age of 21; or possession or consumption of energy drinks containing alcohol on campus. The conduct of students on international trips in countries where the legal drinking age is under 21 shall be governed by policies set by the program, provided that students shall still be held responsible for behavior constituting the abuse of alcohol privileges.”• First violation: Minimum sanction: General Probation; Maximum

sanction: Specific Probation• Second violation: or first driving while impaired violation Minimum

sanction: Specific Probation; Maximum sanction: Suspension• Third violation: Minimum sanction: Suspension; Maximum sanction:

Expulsion

The First Effects

• After entering the bloodstream the alcohol travels very quickly, in only a few minutes, to every part of the body.

• Your brain will be the first part of the body to be affected: the alcohol will dull the parts of the brain that control how your body works, affecting your actions and your ability to make decisions and control your actions.

• Since alcohol is a “depressant,” the initial effect on the brain is to make you feel either “down” or “aggressive.”

• “On average, it takes the liver about one hour to break down one unit of alcohol. Contrary to some myths, there is no way to speed up this process and only time will sober you up. Remember, you might still be over the legal limit for driving the morning after a heavy night's drinking!”

Contributing factors

• Size/weightPeople who are smaller and weigh less will feel the effects of alcohol more quickly because overall they have less tissue to absorb alcohol.

• Whether you've eatenFood slows down the rate of absorption –- that's why alcohol affects you more quickly on an empty stomach.

• Type of drinkAlcohol mixed with water or fruit juice is absorbed more slowly, while fizzy drinks or mixers speed up the absorption process.

How it is absorbed

• Once alcohol enters your stomach, up to 20% of it can be absorbed there and go directly into your bloodstream. Within minutes, alcohol will reach your brain and give the feeling of being a stimulant.

• The remaining alcohol goes to your intestines and is absorbed there with the rest of the nutrients.

• A small amount of alcohol is excreted through sweat, saliva, urine, and your breath, which is how it is detected by a breathalyzer

• Alcohol is detoxified and removed from the blood through a process called “oxidation”. Oxidation prevents the alcohol from accumulating and destroying cells and organs. A healthy liver oxidizes pure ethanol at the rate of about ¼ to ⅓ of an ounce per hour, which is less than 1 ounce of hard liquor.

Summary

• Set the example for others! Do NOT drink and drive!• Cadet Command has a zero tolerance policy on DWI convictions.• Always plan ahead and have other people you can call if you need

them.• Use the P.A.C.E plan!