SEGMENT 2 - ALCOHOL

Time and Sobriety

  • Time is the only factor that truly sobers someone up.

  • Coffee or other stimulants may make a person more energetic, but won't reduce the effects of alcohol.

How the Body Rids Itself of Alcohol

  • The liver is the primary organ responsible for removing alcohol (a poison) from the body.

Alcohol's Effect on the Brain

  • Alcohol affects behavior as soon as it reaches the brain, not when it enters the bloodstream.

  • The tainted blood that contains alcohol must reach your brain to have an effect.

Factors Affecting BAC

  • All factors affect your BAC.

  • When comparing male vs. female, alcohol affects females slightly different, when weight and amount being drunk is the same.

Effects of Alcohol and Age

  • Bad things can happen around the age of 21 if you consume alcohol.

  • Chances of young drivers getting into accidents nearly double with just one drink.

  • The number one factor for young drivers getting into accidents is having other young people in the car.

Alcohol's Effect on Muscles

  • Affects muscles, especially eye muscles.

  • Police officers use a pen to test eye movement during field sobriety tests to asses impairment.

Field Sobriety Test

  • Police officers may ask you to take a field sobriety test if they suspect you're under the influence of alcohol.

Effects of Alcohol on Driving

  • Alcohol negatively affects every driving function and increases crash likelihood.

  • Over 10,000 people are killed each year in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes.

  • Alcohol impairs judgment and muscle control.

  • Vision is negatively affected, including sharpness, side vision, and distance judgment.

Visual Acuity

  • Visual acuity, peripheral vision, color distinctions, night vision, distance judgment, and focus are all negatively affected

Legal Limit

  • 0.08 is the legal limit for BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) in most states.

  • 0.16 and above is considered "super drunk."

Types of Drinks

  • Wine is potentially the worst choice because it has a high alcohol percentage (12%), compared to light beer (4.1-4.5%).

Factors That Affect BAC

  • Gender: Affects females slightly differently.

  • Body weight: Larger people have more blood to disperse alcohol, making it less potent.

  • Strength of drink: Varies among types of alcohol.

  • Food: Eating butter before drinking is a myth and does not prevent alcohol absorption.

  • Time spent drinking: Consuming alcohol over a longer period has less impact.

Alcohol Elimination

  • The body sees alcohol as a poison and tries to eliminate it through:

    • Breathing (8%)

    • Sweating (2%)

    • Liver (90%)

  • The liver is the primary organ responsible for eliminating alcohol.

  • The idea of eliminating one drink per hour is false.

Alcohol Elimination Time

  • It takes between 1.25 and 1.5 hours or longer for the body to eliminate the alcohol contained in one standard-sized drink.

  • BAC can continue to rise for at least 30 minutes after you finish drinking.

DWI vs. DUI

  • DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) is alcohol-specific.

  • DUI (Driving Under the Influence) can include alcohol, prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, or illegal drugs.

Alternative Actions

  • If you accidentally had some alcohol and you can't drive, call:

    • Mom or Dad if you're too afraid of calling your parents at least contact someone such as a super friend taxi transportation etc

    • DO NOT send a postcard or contact a football team member

Resisting Peer Pressure

  • Disengage or change the subject when facing pressure to drink.

Field Sobriety Test

  • Includes walking a straight line heel to toe, with hands at your side.

Breathalyzer

  • A device used to measure BAC (blood alcohol concentration).