Creativity Contest Entry - She Values Her Life

Reasons That I Don’t Drink Alcohol …

You may ask me why I do not drink at parties?

You may wonder why I always say no.

I do not want to be part of the peer pressure, so instead I look and remember I want to survive.

Being a kidney transplant recipient, I want my kidney to last longer than someone who is constantly drinking. My top priority for the rest of my life is this single transplant.

So the main reason that I do not drink alcohol, you may ask, would be because I do not want to ruin my life and be on a hospital bed one more time. I do not need my stomach pumped to be cool but most of all I do not need another kidney transplant because of alcohol.

- Taylor Wood

 

It's Happening Everywhere - Including St. Mary's County

With greater frequency, we are being inundated with information about the dangers of underage and/or binge drinking - and that's a good thing. Drinking alcohol is playing a major role in increased sexual assaults, sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancies, and alcohol-related deaths. This is happening throughout the country, even here in St. Mary's County, Maryland. Underage drinking has become an epidemic. It's terrifying, so we are all about sharing what we know about the problems and the solutions. To learn more, please feel free to contact us at 301-475-6019.

You quite likely have heard of some pretty horrible things happening to people you know or maybe those things have happened to you, as the direct result of underage and/or binge drinking. We want to hear from you - as part of the "I Knew Someone Who ..." campaign sponsored by the Community Alcohol Coalition. Please email your submission to: canyouaffordit@gmail.com and we will share it anonymously. Your story, poem, video, music, artwork, or photography may help someone else, which is a tremendous gift. Submissions are always welcome, but why not submit your entry as part of our Creativity Contest?

Creativity Contest Entry - A Message of Hope

Reason that I don’t drink alcohol:

 

i drank to forget, feel no pain, fit in with others,

l  o  s  t

in the darkness came the questions:

who have i become?

why am i saying the things i say?

why am i doing the things i do?

no escape, pain magnified, loneliness

d  e  s  p  a  i  r

 

M I R A C L E

The hand reached down and pulled me up

              L O V E

The voice told me that I never had to drink again “there is a solution”

              H O P E       F A I T H

The heart shared the story

              H O N E S T Y

The feet walk beside me on the Road of Happy Destiny

              W E

 

For today  

I remember, feel, fit in, am present, pray, accept love, give love, listen, laugh, be of service, share, hope, dance, hug, remain teachable, use the key of willingness, strive, work, stay grateful

I      a m     s o b e r

Get Involved with the CAC!

 You're Invited!

On Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 6:00 p.m., the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC) will hold their monthly meeting at Health Connections - MedStar St. Mary's Hospital in Leonardtown. In our effort to create awareness about the dangers of underage and/or binge drinking, we invite all to get involved with this important community outreach campaign.

Gratefully, the CAC involvement includes members of the St. Mary's County community - parents, teens, hospital employees, SMC government employees, local business owners, members of the media, communications specialists, health professionals, educators, law enforcement, and more. We would love to include you in our efforts - you could be integral part of the Community Alcohol Coalition.

Now more than ever, alcohol consumption is glorified and has become increasingly enticing to all age groups. The consequences of underage and/or binge drinking are many and tragic statistics are on the rise - right here in St. Mary's County. It is our hope to affect change, especially among children ages 12 - 20, young adults ages 21 - 25, parents, and businesses that sell alcohol. Perhaps you can help by becoming part of the CAC - by attending the meeting(s), by bringing your suggestions to the table, and by helping with the community outreach.

We hope to meet you at the upcoming CAC meeting!

 

One Night of Fun ...

... can lead to more than you planned.

Your life ROCKS!

You're in high school, your curfew is extended, you're making new friends, you're getting your driver's license, and your parents are giving you way more freedom. Before long you have earned your diploma and you're rolling into the work force or heading off to college. You feel as though you have arrived - this is FULL ON FREEDOM, at long last!

 

If you have heard it once, you have heard it a thousand times: "With this freedom, comes responsibility." You have smiled, nodded, and agreed with the well-meaning adults who launched into the concerned lecture ... and you couldn't wait to escape and hook up your friends to party. It's incredible that these adults are saying this to you, yet again. You are convinced that they are completely paranoid, excessively UNcool, and pulling the ultimate kill-joy move.

OK, at the risk of you judging this blog post to be excessively UNcool, we hope you will consider the above statistics about underage & binge drinking, sexual assault, sexually transmitted diseases, and unplanned pregnancy. We can't stop you from partying; we can't stop you from having unprotected sex; we can't stop what may happen to you if get too drunk. Just please be careful - so much can go so terribly wrong. You don't want your life to be forever altered as a direct result of your binge drinking.

Do you SOMETIMES drink to excess?

Did you know that most binge drinkers

are casual drinkers who

sometimes

drink to excess?

 

This IS a type of alcohol abuse:

a pattern of drinking that results in harm to one's health,

interpersonal relationships,

or ability to work.

 

 

Alcohol abuse can lead to alcohol dependency, also known as alcohol addiction or alcoholism. The CDC states that "alcoholism is a disease marked by strong craving for alcohol, an inability to limit drinking, and continued drinking despite repeated physical, psychological, or interpersonal problems."

Alcohol and Your Brain

Watch this informative video about the effects of alcohol on the brain. This helps to explain why people feel what they feel and do what they do while under the influence of alcohol. Think before you drink, friends!

"Reasons that I don't drink alcohol ..." CONTEST!

 

It's time to get creative!

The Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC) is sponsoring a contest with the theme: "Reasons that I don't drink alcohol ..." and all are invited to participate. You may submit stories, poems, artwork, songs, lyrics, videos, or photos are often as you would like - there are no limits! You can either post your entry directly on the "Can You Afford It?" Facebook Wall or on our Twitter Page for all to view OR if you would rather remain anonymous, please feel free to email your submission to: canyouaffordit@gmail.com.

The winner will receive

a $25 AMC Movie Theatre Gift Certificate!

Hit the flicks on us!

 

We look forward to viewing your submission(s) ...

and feel free to spread the word about this contest to your family and friends.

The winner will be chosen and announced on Friday, April 5th, 2013.

Thanks!

FREE Parent Workshops: Guiding Good Choices

Parenting tweens and teens is tough and important ... but you don't have to go it alone! JOIN US for five interactive workshops that will assist you.   WHAT IT IS:   Guiding good choices is an interactive series of five workshops designed for parents and caregivers of children ages 9-14. The program works with parents and caregivers to explore the challenges and skills in navigating our adolescents through these important and challenging years. Participants work together and with a certified facilitator to identify opportunities to reduce family conflict, build family bonds, establish clear and consistent guidelines and teach children skills to resist peer influence. The program will help to improve parent-child interactions, reduce adolescent substance abuse and reduce symptoms of depression in teens. In fact young adults whose parents attended Guiding Good Choices are: • 11% less likely to have alcohol related problems • 11% less likely to smoke cigarettes • 16% less likely to use illicit drugs • 10% more likely to be free of all measured substance abuse problems   WHEN: Thursday evenings from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM April 4, 11, 18, 25 May 2, 2013 WHERE: St. Mary's County Government, Potomac Building, Room 14 COST: FREE! These workshops and all materials will be provided at not cost, along with light dinner, snacks, and refreshments HOW TO REGISTER: Please call the Department of Aging and Human Services, Matthew Reisdorph at 301-475-4200, ext. 1681

 

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

 

 

Alcohol poisoning is a life-threatening emergency.
What to look for:

 

Confusion, stupor
Vomiting
Seizures
Slow, irregular breathing
Low body temperature, bluish skin

It's easy to blow off these symptoms as the price of partying hard, but if you see someone vomit multiple times or pass out after drinking heavily, there’s a risk of severe dehydration or brain damage. Call 911 - it's better to risk being "uncool" - you could be saving someone's life. And don't run it by the person who is drunk first - they likely will refuse your plan.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun?

The number of female binge drinkers

is on the rise.

This video and anything you may read may not influence you to stop drinking,

but please consider the amount you are drinking.

Consider the numbers before you become a statistic:

1 in 5 young women in high school

binge drinking

 

1 in 4 college age women

binge drink

"In college I only drank on weekends and it was FULL ON. The more I drank, the more I wanted to drink. The rule of not drinking during the rest of the week ceased to exist and I drank - a lot - any time I wanted to. Going to classes and working for good grades stopped being priorities. My parents decided that I was out of control - which I was - and decided to stop paying my tuition. My college career ended and I have regretted that ever since."

- Anonymous

Guilt, Shame, Remorse

Adolescents who drink are more likely to engage in risky sexual activities, like having sex with someone they don't know

 

"I was a little drunk already that night. I met a guy on an elevator and he invited me to party to with him. We drank a lot and smoked weed. The next thing I knew I woke up next to him in a hotel room. I had to get out of there. I couldn't believe this happened and I don't ever want it to happen again. That was the worst I ever felt about myself."

- Anonymous

 

or

failing to use birth control

 

Now what?

 

Consequences of Underage Drinking

 

School problems, such as higher absence and poor or failing grades.

 

 

 

Social problems, such as fighting and lack of participation in youth activities.

 

 

 

Legal problems, such as arrest for driving or physically hurting someone while drunk.

 

 

 

Physical problems, such as hangovers or illnesses.

 

 

 

Unwanted, unplanned, and unprotected sexual activity.

 

 

 

Disruption of normal growth and sexual development.

 

 

 

Physical and sexual assault.

 

 

 

Higher risk for suicide and homicide.

 

 

 

Alcohol-related car crashes and other unintentional injuries, such as burns, falls, and drowning.

 

 

 

Memory problems.

 

 

 

Abuse of other drugs.

 

 

 

Changes in brain development that may have life-long effects.

 

 

 

Death from alcohol poisoning.

 

 

 

 

Youth who start drinking before age 15 years are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse

later in life than those who begin drinking 

at or after age 21 years.

 

 

When Drinking Didn't Work Anymore

 

 

"This Could Be Me"

I started drinking at the age of 12 with friends. Everything seemed better when I drank and all the stuff that was bothering me just slipped away. I soon became a daily drinker and I loved how drinking made me feel. Family problems, school pressures, difficulties making and keeping friends ... all of it changed when I drank. I didn't worry about what was happening with my family anymore. I didn't care about school and did the minimum to get by and graduate. I felt popular, attractive, and funny when I drank and I made tons of friends.

Things were going along fine until I got to college and drinking wasn't helping anymore. Every time I drank I became increasingly depressed, but I kept drinking. I was chasing that feeling I got in my early drinking days. My family problems, school pressures, and difficulties with friends became bigger than ever and I kept blaming everyone else for my problems. I became suicidal and often fantasized how I would do it - then all of those people who had given me so much trouble would be sorry.

When I heard about the death of a friend I used to party with in high school, it hit me hard. He was drunk, drove at a high speed into the side of the brick wall of a mall movie theatre, and died. That's when the reality hit me ... that this could be me. I decided to put down the bottle and get help. It wasn't easy and sometimes it's still not easy, but I don't want to go back to not dealing with life on life's terms and being drunk and miserable. I don't want to die or cause the death of someone else. Getting sober was the best decision I ever made.

~ Anonymous