U. S. Naval Academy 3/C Alcohol & Drug Education Curriculum Lesson II

1. Binge Drinking – Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) U. S. Naval Academy 3/C Alcohol & Drug Education Curriculum Lesson II Moderation goes a long way

2. Lesson Overview • What is Binge Drinking • What is Responsible Use • What is the profile of a binge drinker • How do you identify/handle alcohol poisoning • What is BAC • Tips for responsible drinking habits

3. Resources • Maryland Highway and National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations (b) ETR Associates (c) Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention 1993, 1997, and 1999 survey of 17,600 students from 140 colleges and universities (d) National Council on Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Inc

4. Responsible Use How do you personally define responsible use of alcohol? Does it match what is expected of you?

5. Responsible Use What is Responsible Use: • Drinking for enjoyment, not “to get drunk” • Only drinking when allowed (legal and regulations) • Staying in control of your actions (always accountable) Intoxication is NEVER an excuse!

6. Binge Drinking • Large amounts of alcohol in short period of time • 5+ drinks for men, 4+ for women over about two hours • One drink is: • 44 % of college students nationally are binge drinkers • 91 % of identified binge drinkers describe themselves as “light or moderate drinkers” 1.5-ounce shot glass of 80 proof liquor 12-ounce can of beer 5-ounce glass of wine Equals Equals Majority of college students abstain or drink in moderation

7. Profile of a College Binge Drinker • High School bingers are 3x more likely to college binge. • Caucasians 2x as likely to binge compared to others. • Students who say religious participation is not important to them are 2x as likely to be binge drinkers. • Students who say athletic participation is very important or important to them are 1.5x more likely to be bingers. • Fraternity/Sorority members 4x more likely to binge. Everyone is at risk!

8. Do you? • Drink 4, 5, or more drinks in a row on one occasion? • Binge drink two or more times per month? • Need to drink to have fun? • Often have a few drinks when things get tough? • Do or say things you normally wouldn’t after having just a little alcohol? • Refuse or get upset when asked to stop drinking? • Frequently talk about drinking or getting drunk? • Have a hangover 2-3 times per month? If so, you should consider why you accept this behavior in yourself

9. Binge Drinking Echoes Have you ever said or heard: • “Come on, you can drink another one” • “Let’s take him out and get him drunk” • “If you can fight for your country you can get drunk” • “We only get away from school once a week so lets do it right” • “DRINK, DRINK, DRINK, DRINK….”

10. Binge Drinking Echoes Have you ever said or heard: • “Check out the new guy, he’s never been out before” • “How about a drinking game?” • “Its not a party till someone passes out” • “Put him in bed and let him sleep it off” • “I’ll watch him and make sure he’s OK” • “If we call anyone we’ll all get in trouble” This is how peer pressure can drive someone to binge drink?

11. Alcohol Poisoning • When excessive amounts are ingested, the brain is deprived of oxygen. Eventually, the brain will shut down the voluntary functions that regulate breathing and heart rate. • What happens? • Unconscious or semi-consciousness. • Slow respiration (breaths). • Cold, clammy, pale or bluish skin, and strong odor of alcohol. • If you cannot wake someone– get medical help! Be a friend…encourage moderation

12. Alcohol Poisoning - Medical • EMERGENCY ACTION: • Call x3-3333 (on Yard), 911 (off-yard), USNA OOW, and Brigade Medical –Call immediately and Stay until help arrives. • While awaiting transport; turn intoxicated person on side and maintain that position by placing a pillow in the small of the person's back. This prevent aspiration (choking) should the person vomit. • If a person appears to be "sleeping it off“, realize that even though a person may be semi-conscious, alcohol already in the stomach may continue to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. The person's life may still be in danger. If you are having difficulty in determining whether an individual is actually intoxicated, contact Brigade Medical immediately--you cannot afford to guess.

13. Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) • BAC is the amount of alcohol in the blood stream. • A BAC level of .10 means that for every 1000 drops of blood in the system, one of those drops is alcohol. • BAC has nothing to do with how intoxicated you “feel.” • Two people of the same body weight, who drink the same amount, should have similar BACs. Tolerance is responsible for one person seeming to be fine, while the other is passed out. • Feeling fine when over the legal driving limit will not prevent you from getting a DUI/DWI

14. MARYLAND BAC LAW (.08) • At .08 virtually all drivers experience a loss of critical driving skills. • At .08, the risk of an accident is 3 times greater than a sober driver (9 times greater at .09).

15. Responsible Drinking Tips • Pace your drinking. • Consider alternating non-alcoholic “decoy” drinks (i.e. drinking plain orange juice every other drink). • Don’t drink on an empty stomach. • Keep track of how much you are drinking and know how much alcohol is poured into every glass. • Don’t drink shots. • After the first few drinks, your taste buds will be dulled to drink strength. • Avoid possible interactions between alcohol and other drugs (including over-the-counter medications).

16. Responsible Drinking Tips • Drink only if YOU want to. • Don’t just sit down. If active you will drink less and be more aware of your intoxication level. • Avoid “chugging” contests or drinking “games.” • Stop drinking before the party is over. Drink non-alcoholic beverages the last hour or so. • Keep in mind that an added ice cube, a slightly smaller glass, or a “decoy” drink will go undetected by others and they may help you to resist well-meaning efforts (pressure) of peers.

17. Questions ???