Chapter 3: Alcohol and Drug Awareness

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the American Medical Association, the National Commission Against Drunk Driving, WebMD
BAC Physiological Effects Effects on Driving Ability
.02
  • Some loss of judgment
  • Relaxation
  • Slight body warmth
  • Altered mood
  • Decline in visual function
  • Decline in ability to perform two tasks simultaneously
.05
  • Exaggerated behavior
  • Loss of small-muscle control
  • Impaired judgment
  • Usually good feeling
  • Lowered alertness
  • Release of inhibition
  • Reduced coordination
  • Reduced ability to track moving objects
  • Difficulty steering
  • Reduced response to emergency driving situations
.08
  • Muscle coordination becomes poor (e.g., balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing)
  • Harder to detect danger
  • Judgment, self-control, reasoning, and memory are impaired
  • Reduced coordination
  • Reduced ability to track moving objects
  • Difficulty steering
  • Reduced response to emergency driving situations

Alcohol

According to the CDC, alcohol is one of the most widely used drugs in the world and a leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States. It is used by young people more often than tobacco or illicit drugs. Among youth, the use of alcohol and other drugs has been linked to unintentional injuries, physical fights, academic and occupational problems, and risky or illegal behavior (for more information see: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)).

All states, including Georgia, prohibit the purchase of alcohol by youth under 21 years of age. Consequently, underage drinking is defined as consuming alcohol prior to the minimum legal drinking age of 21. Zero tolerance laws in all states make it illegal for youth under age 21 to drive with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .02 or greater. In other words, driving under the influence is a crime that can result in a criminal record, jail time, loss of driving privileges and a costly fine. Drinking and driving also increases the risk of a traffic crash. Even a small amount of alcohol or a lower BAC can affect driving ability and cause an alcohol-related crash. There is an average of one alcohol-impaired driving death that occurs every 45 minutes. In 2020, 11,654 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in the United States (for more information see: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)). There were 402 alcohol-related crash fatalities in Georgia that same year (for more information see: Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS)).

Alcohol impairs brain function needed to safely operate a motor vehicle. It can at any level affect coordination, reaction time, and the ability to think and make good decisions. The negative effects increase as alcohol levels increase in an individual’s system. Alcohol abuse is associated with liver disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological damage, as well as psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, and antisocial personality disorder.

Excessive alcohol consumption which includes binge drinking, heavy drinking, and/or underage drinking can lead to alcohol poisoning. High levels of alcohol in the body can shutdown critical areas of the brain that manage breathing, heart rate, and body temperature (for more information see: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)). Passing out and not being able to be awakened can be a sign of alcohol poisoning. Other symptoms include confusion, vomiting, seizures, slowed breathing, blueish skin, and low body temperature. In a suspected case of alcohol poisoning, immediate medical care is vital.