DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

Types of Drugs: Prescription Non-Prescription Illegal

Prescription Drugs Antihistamines (Allergy Medicince)

which cause side effects such as inattention, confusion, and drowsiness. Some are used as an aid in sleep.

Barbiturates are sedatives used primarily for sleep.

Non-Prescription Drugs Over the counter medication like allergy

medications, and cold remedies may contain codeine, alcohol, or antihistamines each of which can affect your driving.

Illegal Drugs LSD and Heroin: Have the power to make

users completely unaware of their surroundings.

Marijuana: Causes users to lose their sense of awareness. Studies show that users of marijuana have more arrests for traffic violations than others. They simply are not concerned about what is going on around them

Alcohol

Alcohol is a depressant, not a stimulant. It causes drowsiness, blurred vision, and

slowed reflexes. It affects judgment and coordination. Impairment can occur before legal

intoxication is attained.

The Sequence Of Mental Growth

Survival Functions – heart beat, breathing, etc…

Muscle Coordination – walking, running, etc…

Higher Learning – learning through experiences, gaining knowledge through studies, etc…

The sequence of mental growth is reversed by alcohol.

Alcohol related crashes have killed more people than all the United States soldiers that have been killed in war!

Factors That Determine How Alcohol Effects The Body

The amount you drink How fast you drink it Your body weight Food in the stomach Experience Tolerance What you expect the alcohol to do – your

mood

Physical Effects of Alcohol REACTION TIME: After 1 or more drinks, a

driver becomes physically slower and less alert. COORDINATION: Movement gets sloppy and

uncoordinated. You are also less able to make critical decisions.

DISTANCE PERCEPTION: Alcohol affects the ability to judge distance or depth. You can not tell where vehicles around you really are or how far away signs and signals are.

Physical Effects of Alcohol SPEED PERCEPTION: You cannot tell how

fast other vehicles are approaching. You also have a distorted sense of how fast you are going.

VISION: Alcohol affects the reflex action of the eyes. Your eyes do not respond to bright light in the normal way. Double vision and poor focus is also possible.

SYNERGISM The interaction of one drug with another

to enhance the effect of one or both. Ex: If a person drinks alcohol and takes a

depressant, the combination could produce an effect that is greater than the individual effects of either when taken alone.

PLEASE….. DON’T DRIVE INTOXICATED! DON’T RIDE WITH AN INTOXICATED

DRIVER! TRY AND GET THE KEYS AWAY FROM AN

INTOXICATED DRIVER!