April: Alcohol Awareness Month
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In honor of April being Alcohol Awareness Month, I decided to write an article about it. At SPSCC there was an event where these gaming machines were rented, to simulate what drinking and driving is like. It was like an arcade racing game, except you had to follow the laws of the road. You sat in a comfy chair, pedals on the bottom by your feet, with a screen in front of you.
The game was fun, apparently, I was doing well in the simulation, so there is a chance I could get away with drunk driving, but I also ran over 2 people and hit many cars, but other than that, I did great! In my defense those 2 people came out of nowhere and just ran right in front of my car, so I don’t think that was my fault, right?? Wrong.
Then cars kept brake checking me, making me rear end them! Like do you want that bashed bumper look on your car? They should have known not to brake in front of me, and on top of that, my reaction time wasn’t that great because the brakes decided to also be against me.
I wasn’t about to let those factors get in the way of my goal, which is staying away from the police and that scary breathalyzer Officer Hayes would point at me, if he caught me.
In the long run, I didn’t achieve my goal so I signed a pledge to never drink and drive again since, first of all, everyone on the road including drivers and pedestrians decided to be stupidly difficult when I was drunk, and second, I wouldn’t look good behind bars. Especially if the charge was a DUI or anything alcohol related.
According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, when driving under the influence of alcohol, it can cause you to have impaired vision, reduced reaction times, reduced concentration, difficulty with multitasking, difficulty with focusing on your surroundings, overconfidence in driving skills, and failing to abide by the rules of the road.
I experienced all of these ‘symptoms ‘when I was in the simulator. Of course, it is not completely accurate to what drinking and driving is like, but somewhat similar, it’s a fun way to learn about this topic.
Alcohol awareness month is to bring awareness to the dangers of alcohol, to teach others how to consume responsibly, and prevent addiction. The best way to avoid the dangers of alcohol is to not drink or be around others who drink. Of course, this isn’t always avoidable, and many people suffer because of alcohol abuse.
When you want to drink alcohol, there will always be a risk of addiction, alcohol poisoning, etc. When drinking in a bar it is best to go with trusted friends or family and have one or more people stay sober that can drive, this is to prevent DUIs, car accidents that can lead to death and injury. A good reason to go with friends to a bar is to be safe as someone can take advantage of people under the influence, put something in your drink, etc. So make sure you are always keeping an eye on your drink, and even put a cover on it, either way do not leave your drink unintended.
If in the chance you must drive, wait. Depending on how many drinks you have had, and if you have eaten anything. Your BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) is impacted by these two factors. Be sure you have food in your stomach before you drink, as it helps with having a more pleasant drinking experience, and if you don’t eat your BAC levels are higher. Nothing but time can lower your BAC levels. The more alcohol you consume the more time it will take. (specific drink size and time) your BAC levels are also affected by your weight etc. (add later)
The legal limit for those over 21 years old is 0.08% BAC. The legal limit under 21 is 0.02%.
Hangovers occur depending on the number of drinks you have had, for men a standard five to seven drinks and for women three to five drinks consumed over four to six hours
No one under the influence can consent. It is illegal to participate in sexual acts when either or both people are under the influence, since neither person can consent.
Alcohol is a depressant drug, meaning it affects the nervous system and slows down brain functions. Alcohol affects the brain, mostly just making the brain dumb in simple terms. The drug causes a ‘reward response’ in your brain to trick you into thinking you are doing something good, it releases dopamine (the happy chemical) which is what makes alcohol and other drugs so addicting.
If you know the signs, it is easy to tell when someone is suffering from alcohol addiction. The obvious one is that you see them drinking excessive amounts of alcohol often, if you notice they are shaking a lot more than usual, that is a common sign of withdrawal. Changes in behavior such as isolating from others, none to little interest in their daily lives, such as work and school, smell, alcohol tends to stay in your pores and produces an alcoholic or just plain awful smell when they sweat, it’s a smell that is hard to get rid of. Asking for money more than usual (for alcohol), taking more risks, etc. the chance of someone being more likely to be addicted to substances is increased if addiction is hereditary, or if someone related to them has/ had an addiction to a substance. If the person is around people who are known to drink a lot frequently, etc.
There are functioning alcoholics, meaning they can go about their day to day lives with little interference because of their addiction.
Long term health problems that can be caused by excessive drinking are: high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, liver problems, digestive problems. Cancer in the breast, colon, mouth, throat, liver and voice box.
Overtime can weaken your immune system. Learning, memory, and mental health issues. This can also cause alcohol dependency and social problems.
Underage Drinking:
No one under the age of 21 is legally allowed to drink alcohol (unless you are on private property, with parental permission and supervision) As this can be detrimental to brain development.
“34.2% of people ages 12 to 20—or 13.2 million—reported having tried alcohol at least once in their lifetime” (NIAAA, para.2).
The consequences of drug use are taught at most schools
If you or anyone else is suffering from addiction or alcohol abuse here are some resources, if it is a crisis, you can call or text 988. If it is an emergency call 911. A nasal spray, Narcan, can revive a person from an overdose when given at the right time.
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/announcement/april-alcohol-awareness-month
https://www.nwrii.com/ (Local Resource)
Works Cited
Alcohol and Drug Foundation. “Alcohol and Driving.” Alcohol and Drug Foundation, 5 Apr. 2017, adf.org.au/insights/alcohol-and-driving/. Accessed 10 May 2024.
Center for Disease Control, editor. “Alcohol Use and Your Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Apr. 2024, www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm#:~:text=Over%20time%2C%20excessive%20alcohol%20use,liver%20disease%2C%20and%20digestive%20problems.&text=. Accessed 10 May 2024.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. “Alcohol and the Adolescent Brain.” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Dec. 2023, www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/alcohol-and-adolescent-brain. Accessed 10 May 2024.
