REALITY CHECK
Check your knowledge about alcohol with this True or False quiz. Factual answers are given below.

T or F    1. A person will not do anything when intoxicated that
                   he or she would not do when sober.
T or F   2. One drink does not affect driving.
T or F   3. Alcohol is not such a big deal when compared with
                   illegal drugs.
T or F   4. It is not possible for a teenager to become an alcoholic.
T or F   5. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is not preventable.
 

ANSWERS

1. F     Alcohol depresses inhibitions. This means that alcohol often causes a person to do things he would not do when sober. Alcohol impairs coordination and thinking. Teens who drink are much more likely to have sexual intercourse and several sex partners.
2.   F    Reaction time and judgment are affected with the first drink. The number one killer of 16-to-24 year-olds is alcohol-related traffic crashes.
3.   F     Alcohol, illegal for teens, is the #1 drug problem in the United States.  Alcohol is a factor in the three leading causes of death among teens: car crashes, homicides, and suicides. 
4. F     There are 4.5 million alcoholics between the ages of 12 and 20. Recent research indicates that damage done to a teenager's brain cannot be restored.
5. F       FAS, the number one birth defect, is entirely preventable if pregnant women do not drink alcohol.

T It is not fun to drink alcohol, stumble around, lose control, embarrass yourself, and vomit all over the place - especially in front of friends.
T Alcohol is a depressant.  It slows down the ability to think, speak, and react.
T Motor coordination may be affected for as long as ten hours after the last drink is consumed.
T Alcohol is toxic (poison) to the body.  There is a limit to how much alcohol the body can tolerate.
T Once alcohol enters the bloodstream, the effects cannot be eliminated by a cold shower or a cup of coffee. It takes time for the body to recover.
T When a person passes out from drinking alcohol, it is because the brain is shutting down.
T The amount of alcohol it takes to cause a person to pass out is dangerously close to the amount of alcohol it takes to kill.
T A high blood alcohol level can cause heartbeat and breathing to stop.
T Between 2% - 3% of the current American college population will die from alcohol-related causes.
T Also, 30% of failures in college are alcohol-related.
 

YOU  CAN DIE FROM DRINKING TOO  MUCH!

 Never leave intoxicated people alone.  If they are sleeping, monitor their breathing and frequently try to wake them. When people pass out from drinking alcohol, they are suffering from alcohol poisoning and need immediate medical attention.  Call 911