1. Alcohol Awareness & Binge Drinking Basic information & reminders from http://teenhealthandwellness.com

2. ALCOHOL USE IS SO COMMON THAT IT IS EASY TO FORGET THAT ALCOHOL IS A DRUG—A VERY DANGEROUS DRUG. THERE ARE RIGHT WAYS AND WRONG WAYS TO USE ALCOHOL. “THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESPONSIBLE USE AND IRRESPONSIBLE ABUSE OF ALCOHOL IS THE REASON TEENS ARE NOT ALLOWED, BY LAW, TO DRINK IN THIS COUNTRY” (SCHAFER & DI’GERONIMO) BECAUSE OF IT’S NATURE, ALCOHOL WILL ALWAYS BE A CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECT. YES, IT’S A POISON, BUT IT ALSO HAS EFFECTS THAT MANY PEOPLE FIND PLEASURABLE. Yes, Alcohol is a Drug

3. TWO SEPARATE STUDIES IN 2009 FOUND THAT TEENS WITH A HISTORY OF BINGE DRINKING SHOWED SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE WHITE MATTER IN THEIR BRAIN. THIS COULD RESULT IN A 10 PERCENT DECLINE IN MEMORY AND IRREVERSIBLE LONG-TERM MEMORY AND THINKING IMPAIRMENT. ACCORDING TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS), FREQUENT BINGE DRINKERS WERE EIGHT TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN NON-BINGERS TO MISS A CLASS, FALL BEHIND IN SCHOOLWORK, GET HURT, AND DAMAGE PROPERTY. Binge drinking Teens (Drinking more than five drinks during a single occasion)

4. BINGERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO REPORT LOWER GRADES THAN NON-BINGERS DO. THEY WERE ALSO SIXTEEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE RIDDEN IN A CAR WITH A DRIVER WHO WAS DRUNK OR UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS. TEENS WHO ARE BINGE DRINKERS ARE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO BE HEAVY SMOKERS. FREQUENT BINGE DRINKERS WERE FOUND TO HAVE ENGAGED IN UNPLANNED SEXUAL ACTIVITY MORE OFTEN AND TO HAVE USED PROTECTION LESS REGULARLY THAN NON-BINGERS. THIS SHOWS HOW DRAMATICALLY A LOT OF ALCOHOL CAN IMPAIR YOUR GOOD JUDGMENT. Binge drinking Teens

5. MANY PEOPLE DRINK TO FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IN SOCIAL SITUATIONS, BUT IN THE LONG RUN, DRINKERS OFTEN BECOME ANTISOCIAL. IN THE BEGINNING, THE TYPICAL BINGE DRINKER WILL FEEL RELAXED, CONFIDENT, AND OUTGOING AFTER HAVING A FEW DRINKS. PEOPLE ENJOY THE LACK OF INHIBITION THAT COMES WITH DRINKING ALCOHOL. HE OR SHE MAY ALSO FIND A GROUP OF FRIENDS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN BINGE DRINKING. Social Drinking?

6. FOR A TIME, IT MIGHT SEEM AS IF BINGE DRINKING IS A BIG SOCIAL SCENE AND A SURE METHOD TO GAINING POPULARITY. THEY THINK IT CONTRIBUTES TO MAKING FRIENDS, YET IT CAN ACTUALLY RUIN FRIENDSHIPS. BINGE DRINKERS REGULARLY SAY OR DO THINGS WHILE DRINKING THAT THEY REGRET THE NEXT DAY. COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO BINGE DRINK ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE IN TROUBLE WITH THE CAMPUS POLICE OR BE ARRESTED FOR A WHOLE RANGE OF REASONS, INCLUDING PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS, FIGHTS, VANDALISM, AND DISTURBING THE PEACE. The social v the anti-social drunk

7. THESE EXPERIENCES COULD LEAD TO EXPULSION FROM SCHOOL IF THEY HAPPEN TOO OFTEN SO IN THE VERY SHORT TIME THAT IT TAKES TO GO FROM DRINKING TO FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE, TO DRINKING TO GET DRUNK, THE BINGE DRINKER HAS CHANGED HIS OR HER SOCIAL SETTING DRAMATICALLY. BECAUSE OF THEIR DRUNKEN ACTIONS, BINGE DRINKERS HAVE LOST FRIENDS, ALIENATED FAMILY MEMBERS, OR FAILED TO LIVE UP TO RESPONSIBILITIES LIKE SCHOOL AND WORK. Long term issues

8. ALCOHOL INTERFERES WITH: SCHOOLWORK JOB PERFORMANCE ATHLETIC ABILITY SOCIAL SKILLS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS SLEEP HEALTH WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND ENERGY TO DO OTHER THINGS IN LIFE IT’S JUST NOT WORTH THE HIGH PRICE The Truth about Alcohol

9. THIS VIDEO TALKS ABOUT MORE EXTREME CASES, BUT IT IS WORTH THINKING ABOUT. WATCH THE TRUTH ABOUT ALCOHOL: HTTP://WWW.DRUGFREEWORLD.ORG/#/DOCUMENTARIE S/TRUTH-ABOUT-DRUGS-DOCUMENTARY-ALCOHOL HTTP://WWW.DRUGFREEWORLD.ORG/#/DOCUMENTARIE S/TRUTH-ABOUT-DRUGS-DOCUMENTARY-ALCOHOL Video: The Truth about Alcohol

10. NEVER DRINK ON AN EMPTY STOMACH EAT BEFORE AND DURING THE NIGHT OUT DRINK A GLASS OF WATER IN-BETWEEN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES LEAVE 30 MINUTES BETWEEN EACH ALCOHOLIC DRINK, SO YOU CAN FEEL HOW YOUR BODY IS REACTING DON’T MIX DRINKS NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE If you are going to drink then BE RESPONSIBLE

11. WHY AM I SAYING YES TO ALCOHOL? CAN I SAY NO? PARTY WITHOUT ALCOHOL ONCE IN A WHILE WHERE DO THE PHOTOS FROM THE PARTY END UP? HAVE A PLAN A & B FOR GETTING HOME SAFELY – WHAT WILL YOU DO IF THE DESIGNATE DRIVER CHOOSES TO DRINK? HAVE A SOBER BUDDY TO TAKE CARE OF YOU BE YOUR OWN PERSON & STICK TO YOUR VALUES: IF YOU WANT TO SAY NO, THEN SAY NO Other considerations

12. SAMANTHA SPADY WAS A NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD WHO DIED AFTER DRINKING MORE THAN THIRTY DRINKS IN ONE NIGHT—ANOTHER RESULT OF BINGEING IS DEATH. SAMANTHA DIED FROM ALCOHOL POISONING. THE VOLUME OF ALCOHOL WAS TOO GREAT, CAUSING IT TO BECOME POISONOUS TO HER BODY. HER BRAIN NO LONGER RECEIVED OXYGEN, AND WITHOUT OXYGEN, HER BRAIN SHUT DOWN. THIS CAUSED HER LUNGS AND HEART TO STOP WORKING PROPERLY, LEADING TO DEATH. Emergency Situations

13. BEING ABLE TO SPOT ALCOHOL POISONING IN A DRUNK PERSON COULD MEAN THAT YOU SAVE HIS OR HER LIFE; KNOWING WHAT TO DO TO TAKE CARE OF A DRUNK PERSON IS THEREFORE AN ESSENTIAL SKILL FOR ALL PARTY-LOVERS. IF ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS HAS CONSUMED A LARGE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL AND EXHIBITS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS: VOMITING UNCONSCIOUSNESS NO PAIN RESPONSE (DOES NOT RESPOND TO A SHOULDER PINCH) CLAMMY, PALE, OR BLUISH SKIN THAT IS COLD TO THE TOUCH IRREGULAR BREATHING: LESS THAN EIGHT BREATHS PER MINUTE OR MORE THAN TEN SECONDS OF STILLNESS BETWEEN INHALING AND EXHALING Emergency care

14. YOU NEED TO GET THEM MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY BY CALLING 171 STAY WITH HIM OR HER WHILE WAITING FOR HELP, AND MAKE SURE THE PERSON IS LYING ON HIS OR HER SIDE TO PREVENT CHOKING IN CASE OF VOMITING. YOU WILL PRACTICE THE RECOVERY POSITION IN ADVISORY GROUPS IF YOU CAN DRIVE AND ARE NEAR A HOSPITAL, YOU MAY WANT TO BRING YOUR FRIEND TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. IF POSSIBLE, GET ANOTHER PERSON TO TRAVEL WITH YOU. Emergency care

15. GIVE THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ACCURATE INFORMATION ON WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DRINKING. DON’T WORRY ABOUT GETTING THE PERSON (OR YOURSELF) IN TROUBLE. GETTING IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH. Emergency care

16. DRUG FREE WORLD. ORG HTTP://WWW.DRUGFREEWORLD.ORG/#/VID EOS/THEY-SAID-THEY-LIED HTTP://WWW.DRUGFREEWORLD.ORG/#/VID EOS/THEY-SAID-THEY-LIED THE TRUTH ABOUT ALCOHOL VIDEO LINK: HTTP://WWW.DRUGFREEWORLD.ORG/#/DOC UMENTARIES/TRUTH-ABOUT-DRUGS- DOCUMENTARY-ALCOHOL TEEN HEALTH AND WELLNESS.COM HTTP://TEENHEALTHANDWELLNESS.COM/AR TICLE/36/1/WHAT-IS-ALCOHOL-ABUSE More information