Teen Drug and Alcohol Safety - Did You Know... - How You Can Intervene
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TEEN DRUG AND ALCOHOL SAFETY

Myths About Alcohol for Teens

It's time to confront some of the most wacked-out lies about alcohol. You've probably heard them all. So, why waste our time trying to debunk a bunch of harmless myths? Because they can be pretty fierce.

You may want to say no to your friends, but it's tough. And all these myths are just out there. You have heard all kinds of stuff, but this is the real story. And the next time some loser tries these lines on you, you'll know your stuff.

Myth: Alcohol gives you energy.
Nope, it's a depressant. It slows down your ability to think, speak, move and all that other stuff you like to do.

Myth: Switching between beer, wine and liquor will make you more drunk than sticking to one type of alcohol.
Whatever! Your blood alcohol content (BAC - the percent of alcohol in your blood) is what determines how drunk you are. Not the flavors you selected. Alcohol is alcohol.

Myth: You'll get drunk a lot quicker with hard liquor than with a beer or wine cooler.
Did we mention that alcohol is alcohol.

Myth: Everybody reacts the same to alcohol.
Not hardly. There are dozens of factors that affect reactions to alcohol - body weight, time of day, how you feel mentally, body chemistry, your expectations, and the list goes on and on.

Myth: A cold shower or a cup of coffee will sober someone up.
Not on your life. Nothing sobers you up but time. With coffee, you're simply a wide-awake drunk!

Myth: It's just beer. It can't permanently damage you.
Large amounts of alcohol can do major damage to your digestive system. You can hurt your heart, liver, stomach, and several other critical organs as well as losing years from your life.

Myth: It's none of my business if a friend is drinking too much.
If you are a real friend, it is your business. You can't make someone change but you can be honest. Maybe they'll listen. You might even talk them into getting help.

Myth: The worst thing that can happen is a raging hangover.
Sorry. If you drink enough alcohol, fast enough, you can get an amount in your body that can kill you in only a few hours.

Myth: Drugs are a bigger problem than alcohol.
Alcohol kills 6 ½ times the number of people killed by cocaine, heroin, and every other illegal drug combined. Ten million Americans are addicted to alcohol. Alcohol is the #1 drug problem of today's youth.

Myth: Alcohol makes you more sexy.
The more you drink, the less you think. Alcohol may loosen you up and make someone more interested in sex, but it interferes with the body's ability to perform. And then there's pregnancy, AIDS, sexual assault, car crashes and wore, to worry about. Not sexy at all.

Myth: People who drink too much only hurt themselves.
Every person who drinks has a mother, grandfather, sister, aunt, best friend, boyfriend or girlfriend who worries about them. Each of the 12 million problem drinkers in this country affects four other people.

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DID YOU KNOW….

• An early age of drinking onset is associated with alcohol-related violence not only among persons under age 21 but among adults as well.
  
• The highest prevalence of both binge and heavy drinking in 2000 was for young adults aged 18 to 25, with the peak rate occurring at age 21.
  
• Approximately one fifth (20.5 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking at least once in the 30 days prior to an alcohol use survey.
  
• About 10.l million people age 12 to 20 years reported current use of alcohol in 2001 - 28.5 percent of this age group for whom alcohol is an illicit substance. Of these, nearly 6.8 million or 19 percent were binge drinkers and 2.1 million or 6 percent were heavy drinkers.
  
• The median age at which children begin drinking is 15.7 years old.
  
• Students who attended schools with high rates of heavy drinking experienced a greater number of secondhand effects, including disruption of sleep or studies; property damage; and verbal, physical, or sexual violence.
  
• High school binge drinking is a major predictor of binge drinking in college.
  
• The total cost attributable to the consequences of underage drinking was more than $53 billion per year in 1998 dollars. (Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1999)
  
• 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.
  
• Youth who drink before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21.
  
• People who begin drinking before age 145 are seven times more likely than those who begin drinking after age 21 to report being in a motor vehicle crash because of their drinking.
  
• People who begin drinking before age 14 are three times more likely than those who begin drinking after age 21 to report ever driving after drinking too much and four times more likely to report doing so in the past year.
  
• Those who have their first drink prior to age 19 are significantly more likely to become alcohol dependent, to drive after drinking, and to sustain injuries that required medical attention than those who did not drink before age 19. Those who first drank at younger ages believe they could consume more drinks and still drive safely and legally.
  
• High school students who use alcohol or other substances are five times more likely than other students to drop out of school or to believe that earning good grades is not important.
  
• People who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence that those who wait until age 21. Each additional year of delayed drinking onset reduces the probability of alcohol dependence by 14 percent.
  
• In 2002, 29 percent of 15- to 20-year old drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking. Twenty-four percent were intoxicated.
  
• It is estimated that at least 2/3 of alcohol outlets sell to underage purchasers without asking for identification. (Department of Heath and Human Services, 1997)

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HOW YOU CAN INTERVENE

Below are some helpful tips to "Get the Keys" away from a drunk driver:

• If the person is a close friend, try and use a soft, calm approach at first. Suggest to them that they've had too much to drink and it would be better if someone else drove or if they took a cab.
  
• Be calm. Joke about it. Make light of it.
  
• Try to make it sound like you are doing them a favor.
  
• If the person is somebody you don't know well, speak to their friends and have them make an attempt to persuade them to hand over the keys. Usually they will listen.
  
• If the person is a good friend, spouse, or significant other, tell them that if they insist on driving, you are not going with them. Tell them that you will call someone else for a ride, take a cab, or walk.
  
• Locate the person's keys while they are preoccupied and take them away. Most likely, they will think they've lost their keys and will be forced to find another mode of transportation.
  
• If possible, avoid embarrassing the person or being confrontational. This makes them appear vulnerable to alcohol and its effect.
  

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