Shock Value: Entry 33 "There Is An Epidemic Going On Outside: Part 3"

Topic: Drunk Driving aka Driving Under the Influence (DUI)

Like it or not, I am going to do my part to try and educate those among us who lack it. As a person who has never taken a sip of alcohol; I am have a PHD in Designated Driving. I don't care how much you tell me, "dude I got it, or I'm straight." You WON'T get those keys in my presence. I don't ride with people who drink and drive and I don't allow anyone I care for to get in that care either. Remember, Friends Don't Let Friends, Drink and Drive. If you want to take that chance, do it by yourself. Most of the time, its some innocent child or mother of four that ends up dying because of someone else's stupidity. Check the facts.

Alcohol & Drunk Driving:

What is It?

Alcohol is created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented, a process that uses yeast or bacteria to change the sugars in the food into alcohol. Alcohol has different forms and can be used as a cleaner or antiseptic; however the kind of alcohol that people drink is ethanol, which is a sedative. When alcohol is consumed, it's absorbed into a person's bloodstream. From there, it affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), which controls virtually all body functions. Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain. This alters a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing.⁴

In 2006, more than 19% of drivers ages 16 to 20 who died in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking alcohol.

Source: Dept of Transportation (US), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Traffic Safety Facts 2006: Alcohol-Impaired Driving. Washington (DC): NHTSA; 2008 [cited 2008 Oct 22]. Available at URL:http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810801.PDF

Of the 1,746 traffic fatalities among children ages 0 to 14 years in 2006, about one out of every six (17%) involved an alcohol-impaired driver.

Source: Dept of Transportation (US), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Traffic Safety Facts 2006: Alcohol-Impaired Driving. Washington (DC): NHTSA; 2008 [cited 2008 Oct 22]. Available at URL:http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810801.PDF

The younger you are when you start drinking, the greater your chance of becoming addicted to alcohol at some point in your life. More than 4 in 10 people who begin drinking before age 15 eventually become alcoholics.

Source: NIAAA; Underage Drinking: A Major Public Health Challenge, 2003

People who use both alcohol and drugs also are at risk for dangerous interactions between these substances. For example, a person who uses alcohol with depressants, whether these drugs are prescribed or taken illegally, is at increased risk of fatal poisoning.

Source: NIAAA Alcohol Alert: ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS, 2008

Mixing alcohol with certain medications can cause, nausea and vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, fainting, loss of coordination.

Source: NIAAA. Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol with Medicines, 2007

Some medications — including many painkillers and cough, cold, and allergy remedies—contains more than one ingredient that can react with alcohol.

Source: NIAAA. Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol with Medicines, 2007

Depending on the type of medication, mixing with alcohol can cause: increased risk for overdose, fainting, changes in blood pressure, difficulty breathing, liver damage, stomach bleeding, blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, increased risk of seizures, death.

Source: NIAAA. Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol with Medicines, 2007

Combing alcohol with anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications can cause: increased risk of overdose, increased feelings of depression or hopelessness, and suicide in adolescents.

Source: NIAAA. Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol with Medicines, 2007

Be smart and make good decisions. You only get one shot at life and there is no do-over button. If your friend, spouse, or family member drinks and drives, let them know the dangers of this. If they continue even after you have shared with them the info, just make sure you aren't in the car when they try to play dodge ball with a tree or light pole on the freeway. Trust me; they won't win!

~Truth Hurts