... On your Safety
- Accidental injuries. More than half of drownings and fatal falls are alcohol- or
drug-related. 45% of emergency room visits are alcohol-related.
80% of patients in special units like burn centers have injuries
related to alcohol use. Half of all physical injuries sustained
on college campuses stem from alcohol use.
- Car crashes. Even small amounts of alcohol make driving unsafe. Drunk driving
is not only unsafe, it's illegal. Even a blood alcohol level of
.05% (below the legal limit for driving in most states) makes
you twice as likely to have a car crash. Almost half of all fatal
auto crashes are alcohol- or drug- related.
Drinking and boating can be a dangerous combination as well. One-third of boating fatalities are alcohol related, and drunk boating is just as illegal as drunk driving.
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) including AIDS. You are more likely to ignore safety precautions such as condoms
if you are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. For
more information, you can check out the National Institute on
Drug Abuse's "How Not to Get High, Get Stupid, Get AIDS: A Guide to Partying."
- Unwanted pregnancy. For the same reasons that alcohol and other drugs put people
at greater risk for STDs, it also makes pregnancy a risk of substance
abuse.
- Sexual assault. When you're intoxicated, impaired judgment can stop you from
noticing dangerous situations and people. Slowed thinking and
reaction time makes you more vulnerable to being forced into sexual
activity. It also makes people less likely to notice when they
are hurting others. Alcohol is involved in many acquaintance rapes.
Either party being drunk is not a legal excuse for assault. For
more information, see the Deparment of Education brochure on Alcohol and Acquaintance Rape.
- Fights. Barroom brawls don't just happen in movies. Not only can you
get hurt, you can get arrested. Two-thirds of violent behavior
on college campuses involves alcohol.
- Trouble with the law. Illegal drugs, underage drinking, drunk driving, public consumption--even giving guests alcohol--can get you into legal trouble. A summary of North Carolina alcohol and drug laws gives details.