.... n holiday cheer
F CTS
NatiotuIJ AlcdtoI-Imptlired
n.n._ .. s ..
_.�.",'6 ttItistic3
1. More than half of 'all
Americans will be imohed
in aD alcohol .. related traffic
ccident in their lifetime.
2 OYer the last 10 years,
250,000 Americans lost their
lives in alcohol-related traf
tic accidents. This is 25,(XX}
deaths each year, SOO every
week; 71 every day; 1 every
20 minutes.
3. Approximately S4a,OOO
people are injured each year
in alcohol-related crashes:
,
about 52,000 of them
seriously.
4. Between 50 percent
and 55 percent of all fatal ac
cidents involve a drinking
driver or pede trian; be
tween 45 percent and SOper
cent of all fatally injured
drivers re legally intoxi-
cated in most es,
5. Americans bet een
the ages of 5 and 34 are m
likely to be killed in a traffic
accident than any other
single cause; alcohol i in
volved in t least half of
these fatal crashes.
6. In 1982, over 70 per
cent of fatally injured drivers
of light trucks and vans had
been drinking; 62 percent of
these drivers were at legally
intoxicated levels.
7. Alcohol-involved
drivers use seat belts at half
the rate of sober drivers. In
cr she , this increase the
chances of the alcohol-in
volved driver being serio -
ly injured or killed.
8. The fatally injured vic
m of alcohol-involved
crashes include the foUow
ing: 52 percent of the victims
re the alcohol-involved
dri er themselves; 11 per
cent are drinking
pedestrians; 20 percent are
passengers in the drinking
driver's vehicle; and the
remaining 17 percent are
pa sengers, drivers or
pedestrians n in the drink
ing driver's vehicle.
Is The Problem Chang
. ?
mg.
9. Th proportion of fatal
ly iDjured driver found to be
n't
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TI SFOR HOS S
A D HOSTESSES
Guidelines to reduce risks -
sociated with alcoho use:
1. Do 't driDIdDg th
main focus or activity yo
odal event. Plan stimulating
activities to avoid letting people
cluster into groups of heavy or
non-heavy drinkers.
2. Provide nutrltlou d ap-
pealing food when alcohol is
served to s ow down the effects
of alcohol.
3. Don't pusb drln .
Respect an individual's decision
no to drink. Provide equally at
tractive and accessible nonal
coholic drinks when alcohol is
. served. Recipes for exciting
nonalcoholic drinks are avail
able from the National Clearin
ghouse for Alcohol Informa
tion.
4. Carefully measure all
drinks so that a person can kno
exactly how much she or he has
drunk. Be aware that opea rs
encou h vy drinld ..
5. Avoid carbonated mixers
in favor of drinks such as fruit
juices. Carbonation speeds l
eo 01 ab orptlon.
6. Avoid serving after-dinner
drinks - serve coffee, tea, or
New Year.
"January is our biggest coun
seling moath of the year," says
Rodney Brown, director of
employee counseling for the
Winston-Salem based R. J.
Reynolds Tobacco USA "The
Christmas season tends to stir
people's emotions about loneli-
. ne and loss and the way things
used to be."
While holiday depression can
strike just about anyone, some
groups are more vulnerable than
other , Brown says. He points to
individuals who are alone and
other nonalcoholic beverages
instead. Cut off dri at I t
on bour ore the party ends.
7. Kn that drun.KeIllIle5S
neither ealthy, afe, or amu -
log. Excusing unaccep able be
havior just because someone has
had too much to drink" serves
no purpose; accepting drunken
ness only rewards alcohol
misuse.
8. When entertaining, as
sume responsibility for your
guests. If someone does drink
too much, provide transporta
tion home, a taxi, or overnight
accommodations" Fli cis do 't
let alcobol-imp Ired friends
drive.
9. Some states have laws
which state that servers of al
coholic beverages may be held
liable for injuries caused by
those who consumed alcoholic
beverages in your home, office,
or other establishment. . y It
d do 't I yo ts
dri too mu •
10. At parties with youths, be
conscious of the drinking age. In
most states it Is illegal for
th to c ume dlor pur-
a1coboUc beve
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and all, isn't merry
feeling that everyone else has the
perfect Christmas. Other likely
candidates include spouses un
dergoing separation or divorce,
families grieving the death of a
loved one, people who are ex
hausted from holiday prepara
tions and wage earners who feel
compelled to spend more than
they can afford.
Brown and other counselors
ay depression this time of year
o�ten comes. when extremely
high expectations turn into de p
Continued on P 5
intoxicated (their blood al
cohol content (BAC) .10
percent or greater) has
dropped. The percentages
were SO percent in � 48
percent in 1982; 46 percent in
1983; and 43 percent in 1984
according to States statistics.
10. The average BAC of
I
...
percent of the police-desig
nated alcohol-involved
drivers are later found to be
legally intoxicated (BAC.I0
percent). \
12. During the period be
tween midnight and 4 a.m. on
any night of the eek, be
tween 75 percent and 90 per
cent of all fatally injured
drivers had been drinking
prior to the crash.
13. Of all the surviving in
toxicated drivers in fatal
crashes (i.e., those who were
tested and found to have a
BAC .10 percent or greater),
only 50 percent were actuaUy
cited for driving while intoxi-
_; cated (OWl) or driving
f under the influence of liquor
(DUlL). Five percent of
these intoxicated drivers
Q' were cited for vehicular
homicide or involuntary
manslaughter, bile 20 per
cent were only cited for
speeding, reckless driving. or
ome lesser infraction. Fif
teen percent were not
charged withany violation,
and in the remajning 10 per
cent it was unknown if the
driver was charged with any
violation.
arrested drunk driver i
.20%; the average BAC of al
cohol-involved fatally in
jured drivers is .16%. This is
roughly 12-15 drinks of 86
proof liquor or 9-11 cans of
beer m four hours for a 180
pound man.
lL When the police indi
cate alcohol involvement at
the scene of a fatal crash and
the driver is subsequently
tested for alcohol, 95 percent
of the time the driver has a
positive BAC. Thus, the
police observations are
usually correct. In fact, 80
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WINSTON-SALEM - 'Tis
the Christmas season, and all is
merry and bright. Right?
Not always. For millions of
people nationwide, the cheerful
images of Christmas stir nothing
but feelings of loneliness, empti
ness and despair - the holiday
blues.
Sleepless night, appetite
10 , constant fatigue and in
creased alcohol use are some
igns that you're falling victim to
the holiday blues. This state of
depression may tart t
Thanksgiving and last into the