Module 8 - Alcohol
Virginia Department of Education
Alcohol Use is a Public
Health Concern
Topic 1 – Binge Drinking & Long Term
Effects of Alcohol
Topic 2 - Alcohol, Motor Vehicle Crashes
and the Law
Topic 3 –Effects of Alcohol and Other
Drugs on the Driving Task
Topic 4 -Resisting Negative Peer Pressure
by Saying “No”
Topic 3
Effects of Alcohol and Other
Drugs on the Driving Task
Let’s Review: Psychological
Effects of Alcohol
The brain works less efficiently
affecting your judgment and responses
The muscles reaction to brain
instructions are delayed
Muscular control of physical reflexes
and coordination become depressed
Let’s Review: Alcohol and The Brain
 Alcohol affects the physical
and intellectual operations of
the brain
 The brain will instruct your
eyes what to look for and your
muscles what to do in
response to situations you
observe in the constantly
changing driving environment
DON’T
DRINK
AND
DRIVE
Driving Skills Impairment
 Blood Alcohol Level as low as .03 reduces
ability to search and evaluate
 Produces more aggressive
behavior and poor decisions
 Alcohol affects judgment first, but also
affects muscular actions
 Shown by failure to maintain vehicle in
straight line
Common Signs of the Drinking Driver
 Straddles center or
lane marker
 Almost strikes an
object
 Weaves
 Drives on
shoulder
 Slow speed
 Illegal or abrupt turns
• Stops for no
apparent reason
• Follows too closely
• Drifts
• Drives into opposing
or crossing traffic
• Drives at night with
lights off
• Fails to dim high
beam headlights
Effects of Alcohol on Driver’s Space
Management Skills
Searching
Eye focus
Double vision
Distance judgment
Side vision
Sharpness of vision
Effects of Alcohol on Space
Management Skills, Continued
Color distinction
Slowed response
time
Night vision
Impaired motor
skills
The Effects of Alcohol on
the Space Management
System
Search, Evaluate and Execute in Time
 The space management system is based on
vision, understanding what you have observed,
deciding what the best course of action is and
executing that action
 Alcohol and /or drugs impair these courses of
action
The Effects of Alcohol on
the Space Management
System
 Searching/Identifying — The primary sense that
humans use when driving is vision
 About ninety percent of what a driver
“identifies” is by the brain telling the eyes what
to look for
 Alcohol affects vision in a number of ways
 The prime reason for visual problems after
alcohol use is impaired eye muscle control
The Effects of Alcohol:
Eye Focus
 Eye Focus — The eyes ability to
change focus rapidly from close to far
is a key element in the vision process
for searching and evaluating
 When these eye muscles are relaxed
due to alcohol and/or drug use the
driver experiencing difficulty focusing
on objects, especially at higher
speeds
The Effects of Alcohol:
Double Vision
 Double Vision —There are six muscles attached to each
eye that direct it automatically and separately towards a
focal point
 When these eye muscles become relaxed because of
alcohol and/or drugs, the two eyes may not be directed
towards the same focal point
 This lack of coordination will cause double vision
The Effects of Alcohol:
Judging Distances
 Distance Judgment —A driver must be able
to determine how far objects are from
their the path of travel
 This is complicated by movement of other
objects especially when changing lanes,
passing another vehicle or parking
 Alcohol reduces the ability to judge
distance accurately
The Effects of Alcohol:
Night Vision
 Night Vision — Alcohol reduces the control
of light entering the eye
 When driving at night the pupils in our eyes will
enlarge allowing the maximum amount of light to
enter
 It takes only one second for our eyes to respond
to the glare of oncoming headlights
 After exposed it can take from two and eight
seconds for the pupil to enlarge again
 Add alcohol to this and recovery slows even
further
Impaired Vision
The Effects of Alcohol:
Distinguishing Between Colors
 Color Distinction —When alcohol impedes a driver’s
ability to determine colors accurately, warnings will be
missed and dangerous situations will often arise
 Colors such as Red are used on three types of signs: stop,
yield, or prohibition of action
 The inability to determine accurately the color of a sign
or traffic light will not only endanger the driver but
anyone who may come in contact with him/her
Drugs Other than Alcohol
 Over-the-counter medications
 Purchased legally without a prescription
 Read label, may cause drowsiness or impair
driving ability
 Prescription medications
 Written note from doctor to obtain medications
 Check label, may reduce level of alertness or ability to
perform complex tasks
 Illegal drugs
 Against the law
 Impact driving in ways similar to alcohol
Effects of Other Drugs on Driving
Judgment
Perception
Vision
Coordination
Mood / Lethargy
Mixing Alcohol and Drugs
Alcohol and
Drugs
 Multiplies the effects of
alcohol
Don’t Mix
 Has additional effects of
its own
 Further reduces the driver’s ability
to operate a vehicle
 Could cause serious health
problems or death
Homework: Talk to Your Parents
Bring in a signed copy of the parent-student
agreement included in the Virginia 45 Hour ParentTeen Driving Guide or the one available on the CDC
website at
http://www.cdc.gov/parentsarethekey/pdf/patk_20
14_teenparent_agreement_aap-a.pdf.
Topic 4
Resisting Pressures to Use
Alcohol
Internal Factors Are
Associated with
Alcohol Use
Anxiety, Frustration, Etc.
 Worrying about school, athletics, boy/girl friends,
jobs, family, etc., are all part of growing up
 Unfortunately, some young people turn to alcohol to
seek relief from such tensions, and this often
produces worse problems than those the teenager
was trying to escape
Underage Drinking –
External Factors/Influences
What are the three major influences in a person’s choice to
drink?
• Family
• Peers
• The Media
= SOCIAL PRESSURE
Handling Peer
Pressure
Pressure is the feeling of being pushed toward
making a certain choice - good or bad
Peer Pressure: the influence of others of similar age
Positive Peer Pressure: others try to exert pressure on
you in a positive manner
Negative Peer Pressure: others encourage you to do
something that may be wrong or dangerous
Module 8: Topic 3
Resisting Negative Peer
Pressure by Saying “No”
Even though there may be people around you who
are encouraging or influencing you to drink, do the
right thing by not drinking.
Be a positive influence and encourage others not to
drink.
More young people DO NOT DRINK than do drink so
you will be in good company.
Introduction to Alcohol—
Saying “No”
NO
Thanks
I’m
Driving
As a Driver it will be YOUR
responsibility to say no to
alcohol to keep yourself, your
passengers, and others on the
road safe
Here are some ways to say
“NO”
 Say what the problem is (that's mean
or that's illegal, etc.)
 Say what the consequences are
 Suggest something to do instead
 If your friends insist on the behavior,
leave ─ but leave the door open for
them to change their minds and join
you
 Find or invent a reason to leave the scene
 Treat the suggestion as if it is not serious or
making a joke of it
 Get involved in a new activity with a new
group of people
 Get help from a trusted adult (for example,
a coach, teacher, counselor, or family
member)
Refusing Alcohol
Be truthful and assertive –
No thanks. I don’t feel like it.
Alcohol’s not my thing?
Are you talking to me? FORGET IT.
Why do you KEEP pressuring me when I’ve said NO.
Practice Saying No
1 I can’t stay; I’ve got to help my dad with something.
2. That stuff makes me sick.
3. I’m supposed to meet so and so in a few minutes.
4. No way. I think you just want me to get in trouble.
5. That stuff is so bad for you.
6. Why would you use that junk?
7. Haven’t you heard about the kid in the news who died from doing
that?
8. Go ahead if you want to kill yourself – I don’t want to.
9. You’re crazy!
10. I’m not into that.
11. My mom would kill me if she found out.
12. I don’t have time for drugs.
13. I’d be suspended from the team.
14. Forget it. There’s no way I’m going to do drugs.
15. I’ve got more to do with my life.
One Decision Can Change Your
Life Forever
Alternatives to Drinking and
Driving
 Do something else
 Stay home
 Agree on a designated
driver
 Plan to stay overnight
 Call someone for a ride
 Find a ride
Stopping Another Person from
Driving Drunk
 Take their keys away
 Arrange for a driver
who has not been
drinking
 Call a cab
 Have them stay overnight, if
possible
Your Responsibility,
Your Decision
Plan Ahead for Safety
Think ahead and try to anticipate possible
problems
Decide in advance what you intend to do
Think of some good ways to handle the
situation if it arises, or some good ways to
avoid the situation altogether
In Class Activity:
Practicing Refusal Strategies and
Good Decision Making Based on
Different Scenarios
Homework: Planning Ahead
for Safety