FHS OLWEUS Class MeetingA Teacher’s Guide: GOOD DECISIONS: “Don’t Drink & Drive”

THE STATISTICSApril 8, 2015

Knowing the Facts

The teen years may be a confusing time, but one thing is clear – you’re not a kid any more. You are becoming mature in many areas of your life, and learning to make your own decisions. Some of the decisions you make today will affect you for the rest of your life. No one can make them for you, but having good information will help you make good choices.

Play the Video:3 Best Don't Drink & Drive PSA's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8I2osmVVPY 1:34 m

Why Teens Drink

You probably know some teens who drink. Maybe you’ve even tried it yourself.

1. To celebrate a special occasion (prom, birthday, graduation)2. Curiosity3. To have more fun or decrease shy nature (put them in a better mood

& make them feel less awkward)4. To fit in

The truth is, teen drinking can have very bad consequences, and not everyone is doing it. In fact, less than 30 percent of teens have had a drink in the past month. And only 20 percent of teens binge drink. That means that the majority don’t.

Dangers of Teen Drinking

Drinking fogs thinking and erodes judgment. When you combine alcohol with teenagers’ natural risk-taking and desire to impress their friends, dangerous things happen. Each year, underage drinking contributes to the death of approximately 4,700 young people.

For teens, alcohol is an illegal drug.That’s why enforcing zero tolerance is essential.

The dangers don’t stop here. Underage drinking poses many other legal, academic, and career risks to teens, and more problems for families and community.

Underage Drinking Statistics

0 1 in 6 teens binge drinks, yet only 1 in100 parents believe his or her teen binge drinks.

0 Teen alcohol use kills 4,700 people each year – that’s more than all illegal drugs combined.

0 Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and about a quarter of those crashes involve an underage drinking driver.

0 Kids who start drinking young are seven times more likely to be in an alcohol-related crash.

0 High school students who use alcohol or other substances are five times more likely to drop out of school.

0 Almost half of all 10th graders drink alcohol in the United States.

Warning SignsIs Your Teen Drinking?

Growing teens get moody as hormones kick in and they face new challenges at school. But if your teen has been acting strangely—or if you’ve noticed a few unusual behaviors at once—it could mean your teen is getting into trouble with alcohol.

Here’s what to watch for:

0 Alcohol is missing from bottles or cans in your home0 Breath mints or mouthwash—these may be an attempt to mask the odor of alcohol0 More sluggish and passive than usual; doesn’t care as much about former interests or appearance0 Is unusually aggressive or rebellious0 Hangs around with different friends and is more secretive than usual0 Skipping school0 Grades are dropping0 Borrowing money more0 Alcohol hidden in your teen’s backpack, car, or room0 Drunk and intoxicated behavior: your teen stumbles or moves awkwardly, has slurred speech and a dull,

unfocused look or bloodshot eyes

History of 21For almost 40 years, most states voluntarily set their minimum drinking age law at 21. In the late 60s and early 70s, 29 states lowered their drinking age to more closely align with the newly reduced military enlistment and voting age.

The results were immediate -- drunk driving crashes and alcohol-related fatalities increased significantly in those states. And not just in those states -- "blood borders", where young people would drive to a state with a lower drinking age, drink, and crash on their return, cropped up across the country.  As a result, 16 states had increased their drinking ages back to age 21 by 1983. Confronted by the failure of the 18 minimum drinking age, the President Commission on Drunk Driving recommended establishing a national 21 minimum drinking age.  President Reagan agreed and on July 17, 1984, he signed into law the Uniform Drinking Age Act mandating all states to adopt 21 as the legal drinking age within five years. By 1988, all states had set 21 as the minimum drinking age. Since that time, the 21 minimum drinking age law has saved about 900 lives per year as estimated by the National Traffic Highway Administration (NHTSA).  In short, there are more than 25,000 people alive today because of the 21 minimum drinking age law in every state. Additionally, underage drinking rates also fell and continue to fall.  From 1991 to the present, annual use of alcohol among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders has dropped 56%, 33%, and 18%, respectively.

 

Dangers of Teen Drinking By waiting until the legal age of 21 to start drinking, a teen protects his or her health and

reduces risk of the following dangers:

0 Physical injuriesTeens who drink do crazy things, like jump off the roof, drag race, and climb into a car with a stranger.

They may fall and hurt themselves or fight with fists, knives, or guns. Underage drinking leads to 1,600 homicides each year. 

0 Drunk drivingTeens are less capable than adults of knowing when they’ve had too much to drink, and rationalize that it’s okay to drive after drinking. Underage drinking kills 1,900 people in fatal car crashes each year.

0 Assault and sexual abuseIntoxicated teens are not able to run or defend themselves and are at the mercy of muggers, rapists, and other attackers.

0 Sexual promiscuityUnder the influence of alcohol, your child is more likely to have unprotected sex with multiple partners, pick up sexually transmitted diseases, or get pregnant.

0 Brain damageWhen consumed in large quantities, alcohol can cause lasting brain damage.  Kids who binge drink—boys who consume five or more drinks at a time, and girls who have four or more—are at greatest risk.

0 Addiction and substance abuseEarly drinking increases the odds that your child will become addicted to alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs. Kids who drink before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics.

0 SuicideKids who abuse alcohol think about killing themselves and act on that impulse more.

What is “drugged” driving?Drugged driving, or substance impaired driving, is the detection of legal or illegal substances that impact driving ability. Poly abuse, is when a person mixes alcohol and drugs and gets behind the wheel.

How Do Drugs Affect Driving Skills?

0 Coordination:  Drugs can affect nerves and muscles, which makes steering, braking, accelerating, and manipulation of vehicle difficult.

0 Reaction time:  Drugs slow response and reaction times.

0 Judgment:  Drugs have cognitive effects that can hinder a person’s ability to assess risks and avoid potential hazards by decreasing fear and thus increasing risk-taking behavior.

0 Tracking:  Drugs inhibit a person’s ability to stay in their lane and maintain a safe distance from the car in front of them.

0 Attention:  Some drugs can make it difficult to focus and process information.

0 Perception: Since 90 percent of information processed by our brain while driving is visual, impaired vision due to drug use seriously hinders a person’s driving ability.

0 Bottom Line: Even small amounts of many drugs can have a measurable effect on driving ability.

The safest choice is to designate a sober driver – someone who does not have alcohol or drugs in his/her system.

What is .08?

Alcohol decreases a person’s ability to drive a motor vehicle safely. The more you drink, the greater the effect. The amount of alcohol required to become impaired differs according to how fast you drink, your weight, your gender, and how much food you have in your stomach.  Because of these variables, the safest choice is always not to drink and drive.

What is .08?

Blood Alcohol Concentration (g/dL)1 Typical Effects Predictable Effects on Driving

.02 • Some loss of judgment• Relaxation• Slight body warmth• Altered mood

• Decline in visual functions (rapid tracking of a moving target)• Decline in ability to perform two tasks at the same time (divided attention)

.05 • Exaggerated behavior• May have loss of small-muscle control (e.g., focusing your eyes)• Impaired judgment• Usually good feeling• Lowered alertness• Release of inhibition

• Reduced coordination• Reduced ability to track moving objects• Difficulty steering• Reduced response to emergency driving situations

.08 • Muscle coordination becomes poor (e.g., balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing)• Harder to detect danger• Judgment, self-control, reasoning, and memory are impaired

• Concentration• Short-term memory loss• Speed control• Reduced information processing capability (e.g., signal detection, visual search)• Impaired perception

.10 • Clear deterioration of reaction time and control• Slurred speech, poor coordination, and slowed thinking

• Reduced ability to maintain lane position and brake appropriately

.15 • Far less muscle control than normal• Vomiting may occur (unless this level is reached slowly or a person has developed a tolerance for alcohol)• Major loss of balance

• Substantial impairment in vehicle control, attention to driving task, and visual and auditory information processing

Information in this table shows the BAC level at which the effect usually is first observed, and has been gathered from a variety of sources including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the American Medical Association, the

National Commission Against Drunk Driving, and www.webMD.com.

Drugged Driving By the Numbers

0 About 4,000 drivers are killed each year with drugs in their systems.  This doesn’t count those who had drugs in their system without test results, or those killed by drivers with drugs in their system.

0 More than a third of teens mistakenly believe they drive better under the influence of marijuana.

0 57% of fatally injured drivers had alcohol and/or other drugs in their system – 17% had both.

0 Almost 7% of drivers, mostly under age 35, who were involved in fatal traffic crashes tested positive for THC, the principle ingredient in marijuana.

0 Alcohol levels above the legal limit were found in 21% of such drivers.

0 Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths.

0 More than 16% of weekend, nighttime drivers tested positive for illegal, prescription, or over-the-counter drugs. Of these, almost a quarter also had alcohol in their system.

0 In 2013, 9.9 million people (3.8% of the population) reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs.  This was highest among 18-25 year olds, where 10.6% reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs. 

0 Over half of all drivers admitted to a level-1 trauma center for traffic crashes had drugs other than alcohol in their system; marijuana was present in nearly a quarter.

Designated Drivers

A lot goes in to planning the perfect prom or celebration, and Frisco High wants to help you with your checklist:

√ Tickets for two to prom – check.√ The perfect outfit for the dance – check.√ Reservations for 2 at your favorite restaurant – check.

0 A designated non-drinking driver – check (call a cab, uber, parent or friend)?

Designated Drivers

Play video:“Think Before You Drink | A Drunk Driving Story” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmiYcYrXhq4

To keep everyone safe on the roads, reserve a ride for your after prom festivities.  Together, we urge all students that if your plans include alcohol then plan ahead and designate a non-drinking driver before the celebrations begin. 

Every ride can save a life!

Don’t start the night in tragedy. Make a decision to designate a non-drinking driver 100% of the time to make sure you, your friends and everyone on the roads gets home safely.

MYTHS vs. FACTSMyths and Facts About The 21 Minimum Drinking Age:

0 Myth: If I’m old enough to go to war, I should be old enough to drink.

Many rights have different ages of initiation. You can get a hunting license at age 12, drive at 16, vote and serve in the military at 18, serve in the U.S. House of Representatives at 25, and serve as the U.S. President at 35. Other regulated rights include the sale and use of tobacco, and legal consent for sexual intercourse and marriage. Vendors, such as car rental facilities and hotels, also have set the minimum age for a person to use their services—25-years-old to rent a car and 21-years-old to rent a hotel room.

And these minimum ages are set for a reason. In the case of alcohol, 21 is the minimum age because a person’s brain does not stop developing until his or her early to mid-20s. Drinking alcohol while the brain is still developing can lead to long-lasting deficits in cognitive abilities, including learning and memory.

Alcohol use by those under 21 is also related to numerous health problems including injuries and death resulting from alcohol poisoning, car crashes, suicide, homicide, assaults, drowning and recreational mishaps. Not to mention that the early onset of drinking by youth significantly increases the risk of future health problems such as addiction.

MYTHS vs. FACTS Myths and Facts About The 21 Minimum Drinking Age:

0 Myth: Europeans let their kids drink at an early age, yet they do not have the alcohol-related problems we do.

Actually, in Europe, young people have higher intoxication rates than in the United States, and less than a quarter had lower or equivalent rates to the United States. Also, a greater percentage of young people in a majority of Europe report binge drinking at higher rates then compared to their US counterparts. Most European youth have higher rates of alcohol-related problems because of their heavy drinking.

Perhaps the best example of fact versus myth is what happened in New Zealand. In 1999, New Zealand lowered its purchase age from 20 to 18. Not only did drunk driving crashes increase, but youth started to drink earlier, binge drinking escalated, and in the 12 months following the decrease in legal drinking age, there was a 50 percent increase in intoxicated 18- and 19-year-old patients at the Auckland Hospital emergency room.

MYTHS vs. FACTS Myths and Facts About The 21 Minimum Drinking Age:

0 Myth: The law only makes youth want to drink because it’s a “forbidden fruit.”

When the “forbidden fruit” is no longer forbidden, youth simply drink more. In states where the drinking age was 18, young people drank more than in states where the minimum drinking age was 21.  They continued to drink more as adults in their early 20s.

MYTHS vs. FACTS Myths and Facts About The 21 Minimum Drinking Age:

0 Myth: Lowering the drinking age will encourage young people to be responsible consumers rather than drink at uncontrolled, private parties.

While many bars serve alcohol legally and responsibly, many bars encourage irresponsible drinking with happy hours, two-for-one specials and bar crawls. Many also serve obviously intoxicated patrons. On college campuses, fraternity and sorority members drink more frequently than their peers and accept high levels of alcohol consumption and associated problems as “normal.”

Many youth drink with the goal to get drunk. They are not “wired” in the brain to assess risk and to be responsible when it comes to risky behavior. There is no class or situation that will prompt a teen to drink responsibly when alcohol flows freely.

MYTHS vs. FACTSMyths and Facts About The 21 Minimum Drinking Age:

0 Myth: Drinking is just a phase all kids go through; they’ll grow out of it.

Actually, many don't.  In fact, the earlier someone begins drinking, the more likely they are to be alcohol dependent in later life.  More than 40 percent of individuals who start drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence at some point in their lives.  Ninety-five percent of the 14 million people who are alcohol dependent began drinking before the legal age of 21.

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