Drive Sober

Effects of alcohol

• Slows down reactions
• Impairs vision
• Interferes with concentration
• Dulls judgment
• Creates a false sense of confidence

If you think a person is suffering from alcohol poisoning call 911 immediately. Don't hesitate, your friend's life may depend upon your response. Do not leave the person alone, and make sure to revive them if they pass out. Turn the person on their side, so if they do vomit they are less likely to choke on it. Many deaths result from people who are drunk choking on their own vomit. Watch their breathing. If they stop, be prepared to perform CPR, if you do not know CPR, find someone who does.

Facts on Alcohol Consumption

• In North Dakota, it is illegal for those under the age of 21 to possess or consume alcohol.
• Nationally, on an average, one person is injured approximately every 2 minutes in alcohol-related crashes.
• Impaired driving is one of the most often committed crimes, killing someone every 30 minutes on average.
• It is estimated that one out of five Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some point in their lives.
• On average, every weeknight between 10:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m., one in 13 drivers is drunk; between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., one in 7 drivers is drunk.
• Rate of drinking affects intoxication. If gulping drinks one will become impaired more quickly. An adult body can process about one alcoholic drink per hour.
• Binge Drinking is defined as five or more drinks at a time for men, four or more drinks for women. Most students that drink in our area are binge drinkers. North Dakota ranks first in Binge Drinking for teens (2000).
• Each year college students spend $5.5 billion on alcohol (mostly beer). This is more than they spend on books, soda, coffee, juice, and milk combined. On a typical campus, the average amount spent per student is $466 a year.
• Drinking alcohol in combination with sleeping pills, aspirin, prescription drugs, and/or illegal drugs can be dangerous. If you have a BAL of .06 and take and over the counter antihistamine, you will drive with as much impairment as though you have a .10 BAL.
• Over 33% of all deaths age 15-24, result from motor vehicle accidents. In 1996, almost two out of five of these motor vehicle fatalities involve alcohol. (Zador, P. Journal of Alcohol studies, 1991)
• For one of every 140 miles driven in North Dakota in 2000, a person with a BAC of over .10 sat behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
• North Dakota car crash expenses cost the state more than $300 million annually.
• Crash costs in the United States average $5.80 per mile driven drunk (alcohol contents or .10 and above.) By comparison, driving a mile sober imposes only $0.10 in crash costs in crash costs.
• In North Dakota, the cost for each injured survivor of an alcohol-related crash averages $67,000, including $6,000 in health care costs and $13,000 in lost productivity.
• Societal costs of alcohol-related crashes, in North Dakota, averages $0.80 per drink consumed.
• Alcohol-related crashes accounted for an estimated 14% of North Dakota’s auto insurance payments. Reducing alcohol-related crashes by 10% would save $7 million in claims payments and loss adjustment expenses.
• Alcohol intoxication is involved in: 40-50% traffic fatalities, 25-30% non-fatal motor vehicle injuries, up to 64% of fires and burns, 48% for hypothermia and frostbite cases, and approx. 20% of completed suicides.

Don't drink and drive and always wear your seat belt- it is your best defense against an impaired driver.