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Start Talking!
Know! To Keep
It Safe this Holiday Season – Adults and Alcohol
11/16/2017
The holiday season is upon us, which means more adults will consume
alcoholic drinks and in higher quantities. This time of year also puts
more people on the roads, as they travel to see family and friends,
near and far. It makes sense, then, that this season becomes one of the
most dangerous times of the year for alcohol-related accidents and
fatalities.
One factor that contributes to increased drinking is the amount of
stress that tends to accompany the holidays, and more people
unfortunately turn to alcohol to ease that pressure. Another major
reason drinking spikes is because there are simply more opportunities
to drink socially due to the various parties.
Depending on where you live, this time of year can also bring dangerous
road conditions. Adding alcohol to the mix is no doubt dangerous and,
far too often, deadly.
In 2016, more than one in four of the nation’s total fatalities were
due to alcohol- impaired driving crashes. To be exact, 10,497 people
lost their lives because of alcohol-impaired drivers. The U.S.
Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) data shows that “human choices,” including
drinking and driving, are linked to 94 percent of serious crashes.
As an adult, if you make the choice to drink, the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) encourages the following safety
measures:
Remember that alcohol’s effects begin quickly. Long before a person
shows physical signs of drinking, decision-making abilities and
driving-related skills are already diminished.
Even when drinking stops – alcohol’s effects do not. Alcohol continues
to affect the body and brain long after the last drink has been
finished. And no, coffee does not sober a person up. In fact, there are
no quick fixes; only time will help.
Before you celebrate – PLAN AHEAD:
Make plans to get home safely: Remember that a designated driver is
someone who doesn’t drink any alcohol, not simply the person in your
group who drinks the least.
Pace yourself: Know what a standard drink equates to and have no more
than one per hour – and no more than 4 drinks for men and 3 drinks for
women per day.
Have “drink spacers.” Make every other drink a nonalcoholic one.
Do not underestimate the effects of alcohol, and do not let alcohol
steal the focus of a holiday party. The primary reason for gathering
and celebrating this season is to be with and enjoy your family and
friends.
Most importantly, be fully aware that your children are watching and
learning from your choices surrounding alcohol. Teach them, by way of
action, that adults can make the choice to have an alcoholic drink, yet
still behave safely and responsibly.
For additional resources and information, including what counts as a
standard drink, visit NIAAA’s Rethinking Drinking.
Remember to follow Start Talking! on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Learn how to get the drug prevention conversation started at
StartTalking.Ohio.Gov.
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