"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