Being Proactive to Keep Your Holidays Safe!
This article was written by Lisa Frederiksen. Her seventh book, If You Loved Me, You’d Stop! What You Really Need To Know When Your Loved One Drinks Too Much, has just been released. For more information about all of the issues surrounding alcohol abuse/addiction (DUIs, underage drinking, dual diagnoses, co-addictions, codependency and more), please visit her website and blog, www.breakingthecycles.com.
This is the season for holiday parties and family gatherings…times of fun, good friends, old traditions and very possibly, drinking, as we celebrate the season and ring in the New Year. So, it’s probably little wonder that every year the President of the United States proclaims December National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Awareness Month.
The statistics surrounding drunk and drugged driving are deeply concerning, to be sure, and here are just a few quoted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Impaired Driving” fact sheet:
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In 2006, 19% of drivers, ages 16 to 20, who died in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking alcohol (NHTSA 2006).
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In 2007, nearly one in three high school seniors acknowledged driving after drinking heavily or using drugs or riding in a car whose driver was similarly impaired at least once in the past two weeks (U.S. Dept of Justice, 2007).
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In 2006, 13,470 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (32%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
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In 2007, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. That's less than one percent of the 159 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.
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Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths. These other drugs are generally used in combination with alcohol.
These statistics show there’s a lot still to be done – with both adults and teens – and while the obvious answer is “Don’t Drink and Drive,” the less obvious answer is to the question, “What makes someone think they can still drive after drinking, and how can that be avoided?”
For teens, all 50 states have adopted "zero taolerance" laws, however all 50 states do not interpret zero tolerance as zero alcohol. Some states allow a blood alcohol contect (BAC) limit of .02 percent. How easy is it to reach .02? A 180-pound man can typically reacy a blood alcohol concentration of .02 after one beer.
But there’s more to it than the just driving. If a driver under 21 is charged with a BAC of .02 or higher, they may also face charges (and prosecution) for possession and consumption of alcohol by a minor (as the minor). If they have not been drinking, but an underage passenger has (or is in possession of an open container or drugs), they can be cited. If they drop off a friend, who’s drunk, and do not tell someone of that teen’s condition (like haul them into their bedroom, turn them on their side, and then leave), they can be held accountable should something go seriously wrong. So…
- Urge teens to carry in their glove box AND wallet the phone number for a Safe Rides program (or cab if you live in a large enough city). Talk with them about identifying other parents they may call if they need help, should they be worried about calling you (make sure they have those names and phone numbers, as well). And, as counter-intuitive as it sounds, let them know that you will not punish them (you will talk, but not punish) if they do call you while in a situation compromised by drinking (theirs or someone else's). The next morning, use the opportunity to really delve into why they were drinking or in a drinking setting, show them the video/websites listed below and strategize with them ways to avoid a next time.
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Talk to teens about issues associated with drinking as often as possible – use popular television programs, newspaper articles, billboard ads or sporting events as starting points. Let’s face it, often television shows have main characters meeting in the bar to talk over the day or drinking at a party, and then…. well, we don’t know what then … so drop a comment: “Boy, I wonder who was their designated driver?” If consequences develop in the show related to the drinking, seize that opportunity for discussion, as well.
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Share the new brain research. There is so much known, now, that wasn’t known before as a result of brain imaging technologies – e.g., teens do get drunk on less alcohol than adults; teens can become addicted to drugs or alcohol before their twenties – all because their brains are still developing until their early 20s. So, share with teens this video / website program about the teen brain and drug/alcohol use.
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Explore ways to reduce the risks of adolescent substance use.
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And if there’s a concern about a teen (or adult’s) drug/alcohol use or addiction, check out this link for more understanding.
For adults, in my opinion, it's staying within drinking limits that allow adults to still think clearly and make wise choices. So how do you stay within safe drinking limits?
* Understand what constitutes “A” drink. You’ve heard it before and have read it in many articles but have you tried to measure it and see what it looks like? “A” drink of wine is 5 ounces; “A” drink of beer is 12 ounces; and “A” drink of spirits (vodka, gin, scotch) is 1.5 ounces. This means that drinks poured and consumed at bars and holiday parties often contain more than one drink as follows:
- a margarita = 3-4 drinks
- a martini = 2-3 drinks
- a scotch on the rocks = 2 drinks
- a standard bottle of table wine = 5 drinks.
* Know your glasses. Various homes, restaurants and holiday party locations will have different types of glasses, which means a glass of wine, for example, can have far more than just “A” drink of alcohol, depending on the type of glass that’s being used. This is another reason to actually measure out 5 ounces or 12 ounces or 1.5 ounces in various, common glass shapes, so that you have a clear visual of what “A” drink looks like.
* Don’t let them refill. When you’re at holiday parties, it’s easy to loose track if a waiter is constantly refilling your glass. Don’t let them until you’ve completely finished your original drink. That way you will know when you’ve had your limit.
* It takes at least one hour. Again, depending on age, health, weight, metabolism, height, etc., it “typically” takes one hour for the body to process one drink. So for every drink, it takes the body at least one, alcohol-free hour to rid itself of the alcohol in that one drink (two drinks, two alcohol-free hours, and so on).
All of this said, please know it’s not meant as a formula for how adults can drink and drive –Impairment Begins With the First Drink. Rather, it’s shared in hopes that understanding what constitutes a drink and how easy it is to over-drink can help all of us make wise decisions [such as sticking with the plan to designate a non-drinking driver and only driving home with that person] in order to be safe on the road.
Enjoy your holidays. Be safe!