“An Impaired Mind is an Unprepared Mind”-Duane Alan Hahn

Underage Drinking and Driving

This IS an Escalating Issue…

**AS A RESULT, UNDERAGE DRINKING IS A LEADING PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY.

Alcohol is the drug choice among youth.

-Many young people are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much at too early an age.

Why is that??? Its easily accessible Teens DO NOT

consider it to be a “drug”

Peer pressure

Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence

THE CHANCES OF THIS DEPENDENCE BECOMING A FORM OF ALCOHOLIC ABUSE IS TWO AND A HALF TIMES MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN THESE INDIVIDUALS THAN THOSE WHO BEGIN DRINKING AT AGE 21.

Because the brain is developing until a person reaches his/her early 20’s, alcohol abuse during adolescence can easily cause PERMANENT DAMAGE.

Society gives youths mixed messages about alcohol. As parents, their best resource available is…YOU!

THE FACTS...

DOWN TO THE STATISTICS

A QUICK COMPARISON

South Carolina is ranked 23rd highest among the fifty states for the cost per youth of underage drinking.

2000

2004

2008

0

5,00

0

10,0

00

15,0

00

20,0

00

Bi-Annual Drunk Driving Deaths in the

US since 2000

USA

2000

2004

2008

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Bi-Annual Drunk Driving Deaths in

South Carolina since 2000

Series 2

Problems and Costs associated with Underage Drinking in South Carolina

11%

25%

64%

2007 cost (in mil-lions) of Underage Drinking in South

Carolina

Medical CostsWork LostPain and Suffering

Underage drinking cost the citizens of South Carolina $1.1 billion in 2007. This translates to

a cost of $2, 428 per year for each youth in the state.

ALERT TODAY= ALIVE TOMORROW

Alcohol related car crashes kill someone every 45 minutes and

injures someone every 2 minutes

THE COLLEGE

LIFE!!!

PARTY…PARTY…PARTY!!

…TH

E W

AKE U

P C

ALL

“a mind is a terrible thing to waste” –United Negro College Fund

Academic Problems:o About 25% of college

students report that academic consequences of drinking include:

1. Missing class2. Falling behind3. Poor exams/paper

quality4. Lower grades

overall

o In schools with high binge drinking rates non-binge drinkers reported:

1. 34% had been humiliated or insulted by binge drinkers

2. 13 % pushed, hit, or assaulted

3. 54% took care of a drunken student

4. 68 % were interrupted while studying

5. 26% of women faced unasked sexual advances

The University’s Outlook on Things:

Colleges/Universities UNDENIALBLY DEMOTE the consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages

Colleges/Universities do not sanction violation of FEDERAL, STATE, or LOCAL LAW.

It is against South Carolina Law for any person under the age of 21 to purchase or knowingly possess alcohol.

Consequences of students found drinking on-campus:

(1) Ticketed

(2) Arrested

(3) Referred to Dean

(4) Depending on the extent, a court date will be set and the student may be FINED.

(5) Ultimately, if a student fails to comply there is room for SCHOLARSHIP REMOVAL & PARENTAL NOTIFICATION

HOWEVER, CREATIVE SANCTIONS INCLUDE:

i. Online “drinking-prevention” classes

ii. WU will gladly seek further help for the student in off-campus groups

Sean Blackburn, Director of Leadership Studies at WU, tells of their rules:

When the Wine is in, The Wit is Out

The effects of alcohol abuse include but are not limited to

o Alcohol Poisoning o Blackouts/Memory Losso Personality disorders;

social conflictso Ulcerso Heart Diseaseo Heart Attacko Liver Cancero (for expecting

females): Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Because of You. . .

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Def. [noun]: mental and

physical birth defects resulted from alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

This syndrome is the leading cause of mental retardation.

A national survey revealed half of women between the ages of 15-44 drank while pregnant.

FAS is NOT a childhood disorder and can cause a wide range of lifelong physical and mental disabilities.

Chesterfield County’s approximated financial impact

of underage drinking and driving for the year of 2010 will

be roughly $24.4 million.

Each year, more

than 5000 deaths

of teens are

linked to drinking:

The three

leading causes of

death for teens

are car

accidents,

homicides, and

suicides;

ALCOHOL IS A

LEADING

FACTOR IN ALL

THREE

BACK TO REALITY

Prevention is the first step:Positive peer pressure goes a

long way. “What parents may not realize is

that children say that parental disapproval of underage drinking is the key reason they have chosen not to drink”

-Charles Curie, Substances Abuse and Mental Health Administrator

THIS IS IT…

o Alternatives: Become active in your community,

church, or schoola) Involved teens are less likely

to drinkb) Teens who act as role models

for younger kids have less of a desire to be involved in the “cool” drinking crowd

“It takes 8,460 bolts to assemble an automobile, and one NUT to scatter it all

over the highway.”-unknown