.... 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
•
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