It's inevitable that kids will experiment with alcohol. FALSE: Many teens - about 30% according to a recent survey - do not drink at all. And most do not develop problems with alcohol. But for the ones that do experiment, it's risky and can harm them both physically and emotionally. Teen drinking is a real problem that requires parental, school and community vigilance. Older Ontario students understand alcohol and its risks. FALSE: Ontario students (grades 7-12) appear to be misinformed about alcohol and the risk it presents, especially to underage youth:
(Statistics from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's 2003 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey of 6,616 students, grades 7-12.) Alcohol is a drug. TRUE: Alcohol is a drug - and one of the deadliest. It's a powerful drug that impairs coordination, vision, thinking and judgement and slows reaction time. It's also the drug of choice for teens. Different people react differently to alcohol. TRUE: Everyone is different. There are dozens of factors that affect reactions to alcohol: your gender, body weight, body chemistry, time of day, how you feel mentally, fatigue - and the list goes on. Teens can't become alcoholics because they haven't been drinking long enough. FALSE: You can develop alcoholism at any age. It depends how much and how often you drink. As well, heavy drinking and binge drinking by anyone can be very harmful, whether or not they're alcohol-dependent. Even one drink can affect your driving. TRUE: People have trouble judging how seriously alcohol has affected them. That means many individuals who drive after drinking think they can control a car - but they're wrong. This can have deadly consequences. It's just beer. It can't permanently damage you. FALSE: Any kind of alcohol can cause serious damage. Alcohol abuse can damage your brain, heart, liver, stomach and other critical organs and take years away from your life. Switching between beer, wine and spirits has the same effect as sticking to one type of alcohol. TRUE: Your blood alcohol concentration or BAC - the percentage of alcohol in your blood - is what counts, not the beverages consumed. Alcohol is alcohol. You'll be more affected by spirits than by beer or a glass of wine. FALSE: A drink is a drink is a drink. A 12-oz. bottle of beer (5% alc./vol.), a 5-oz. glass of wine (12% alc./vol.) or a 1.5-oz. serving of spirits (40% alc./vol.) – each has the same alcohol content. Eating a big meal before you drink will keep you sober. FALSE: Food in your stomach only delays the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. A full stomach doesn't prevent the effects of alcohol or intoxication. The worst outcome of drinking too much is a raging hangover. FALSE: If you drink a lot of alcohol quickly, it can build up in your body so much that you can die from alcohol poisoning within only a few hours. As well, you're more prone to injury, which can be serious or fatal. And, anyone who drinks and drives could severely injure or kill someone - including themselves. A cold shower and a cup of coffee are good ways to sober up. FALSE: Nothing sobers you up but time. Coffee is a stimulant - it'll keep you awake but won't sober you up. If someone passes out after drinking, it's best to let them sleep it off. FALSE: If someone passes out, never leave them alone. Have someone call 911 for medical assistance. Be sure to roll them onto their side, with their head on its side as well, until help arrives. To learn more about alcohol and its effects, call the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's Drug, Alcohol and Mental Health Information Line at 1-800-463-6273. In Toronto, call 416-595-6111. You can also call the Drug and Alcohol Registry of Treatment (DART) at 1-800-565-8603 to find out about treatment services in your community and throughout Ontario. |