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Suggested Activities: Alcohol

Activity	Cross the Room, Stand Up Sit Down, Myths and Facts
Time of Year	April – SADD Calendar Any time of year
Summary	Many teens are unaware of the dangers of underage drinking.
Objective	To promote awareness of the dangers of underage drinking

There are many activities that allow young people to discuss underage drinking. Here are three examples of activities that can be done using different formats to get the same points across.

Cross the Room is ideal for groups of 40 people or fewer.

What to Do

1. Make "Agree" and "Disagree" signs.
   
   
2. Hang the signs on opposite sides of the room, and clear a walking space.
   
   
3. Read a myth.
   
   
4. After hearing the statement participants choose a side. Encourage people to not stand in the middle for the purposes of this activity.
   
   
5. Once people are situated, ask a few members from each side to say why they are there. Remind participants that it is all right to disagree with a statement but not with each other.
   
   
6. After hearing from the group, read the fact.

Stand Up Sit Down is ideal for large groups in an auditorium setting.

What to Do

1. Read a myth.
2. Participants stand if they agree and stay seated if they disagree.
3. Once people are situated, ask a few members from each side to say why they are there. Remind participants that it is all right to disagree with a statement but not with each other.
4. After hearing from the group, read the fact.

Myths and Facts is ideal for groups of 40 people or fewer.

What to Do

1. Write "Myth" and "Fact" on opposite sides of the board or on different pieces of flip-chart paper and hang them separately.
2. Photocopy the myths and cut them into individual pieces, one myth per sheet.
3. Have participants hang the pieces of paper under the appropriate column based on what they think the answer is.
4. Each person then takes one more turn and can move one statement to the other column if they disagree with the original placement.
5. Once each person has taken a second turn, have the group discuss the statements (which are all myths), especially those that got moved.
6. Read the facts to the group.

Myths and Facts

Myth	Fact
Marijuana is the most commonly used drug among teens today.	Alcohol is the number-one drug problem. Each day, six teens die from alcohol-related causes.
All teenagers drink alcohol.	In 2005, less than half of high school students do not drink alcohol (Monitoring the Future, 2005).
Providing alcohol to youth in a supervised environment (i.e., taking away the car keys) is not harmful.	Research has shown that the adolescent brain is not yet fully developed until the early-to-mid twenties. Consuming alcohol at a young age can interfere with the brain’s natural development and affect a youth’s memory and cognitive thinking skills.
Teens cannot become addicted to alcohol.	Alcohol displays addictive properties in animals and humans just like other drugs do. People of any age can become addicted. In addition, people who begin drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence at some time in their lives than are those who begin drinking at age 21 (SAMHSA, 2004).
Alcohol has the same effects on adolescents as it does on adults.	The sedative effects of alcohol are less apparent in young people, leading them to drink more before they feel "sleepy."
If you quit smoking, you can never fully "recover" and gain your health back.	One year after quitting, the excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s. After 15 years of quitting, the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s.
If I’m just going to the corner store, I do not really need my safety belt.	Eighty percent (80%) of traffic fatalities occur within 25 miles at speeds under 40 miles per hour.
A 12-ounce bottle of beer has less alcohol than a 1 1/2 ounce shot of vodka does.	One serving of beer (12 oz.), one serving of hard liquor (1 1/2 oz.), and one serving of wine (5 oz.) all contain the same amount of alcohol.
You can sober up more quickly drinking black coffee and/or dousing your head with cold water.	The only way to sober up is for the liver to oxidize the alcohol in the bloodstream, which takes time (1-2 hours per drink). The only benefit to drinking coffee or taking a cold shower is that those activities also take time.
Movies, television, music, and advertisements do not influence teens.	Researchers have studied the behavior of children after they watched television. Twelve watched a violent episode of the cartoon Woody Woodpecker, and the other 12 watched the nonviolent cartoon The Little Red Hen. During play afterwards, the researchers observed that the children who watched the violent cartoon were much more likely to hit other children and break toys. Also, in 2003 youth who reported seeing or hearing media messages about preventing alcohol and drug use were significantly less likely to report substance abuse. And 84% of teens (20.8 million) reported having seen or heard such a message on posters, pamphlets, radio, or TV in the past 12 months (SAMHSA).
The number of young male drinkers has been increasing more rapidly than the number of young female drinkers.	The number of young female drinkers has been increasing more rapidly than that of young male drinkers, perhaps because it is now generally more acceptable in our society for women to drink than it used to be. In addition, the media heavily targets women and young girls.

 

 

Activity	Table Tents or Fliers
Time of Year	April – SADD Calendar Any time of year
Summary	Many teens are unaware of the dangers of binge drinking, alcohol poisoning, and drug overdose.
Objective	To promote awareness of the dangers of binge drinking and alcohol poisoning
Materials Needed	Colored paper for table tents or fliers

Simply put, high-risk or binge drinking and alcohol overdose can kill you. Educate your friends and classmates about the signs and symptoms of drinking and you might help save a life.

What to Do

• Copy the sample templates on the following pages onto fliers.
  
  
• Hang them all over the school, including in the bathrooms.
  
  
• You can also reduce the size of the template on a copier and make table tents for your cafeteria, food courts, or restaurants in the community.
  
  
• You can also reduce the size of the alcohol poisoning template on a copier and make wallet-sized cards for people to carry with them and refer to when needed.

YOU’RE AT A PARTY. IS YOUR FRIEND BINGE DRINKING? Your friend is binge drinking if … she has four or more drinks in one hour. he has five or more drinks in one hour. People who binge drink are … more likely to drive drunk. more likely to ride with an impaired driver. more likely to die from injuries. Consequences of binge drinking: alcohol poisoning date rape contracting sexually transmitted diseases unplanned pregnancy injuries death If your friend has had too much to drink º don’t leave him or her alone. don’t let him or her go swimming or engage in any physical activity. don’t let him or her drive or ride with someone else who has been drinking. a cold shower or a cup of coffee will not make your friend sober up. Everyone is not binge drinking. HAS YOUR FRIEND HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK? WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF ALCOHOL POISONING? These are the common signs of alcohol poisoning. Watch out if someone you know … drinks excessively (4-5 drinks in one sitting). drinks after using medications or other drugs. vomits while sleeping or passed out. cannot stand up without help. won’t wake up. has slow breathing or an irregular pulse. has unusually clammy or cool skin or skin that is bluish or purplish. Follow these steps if your friend shows signs of alcohol poisoning. Don’t leave your friend alone. Have someone call 911 for medical assistance immediately. Place your friend on his/her side to reduce risk of choking on vomit. Wait with your friend until help arrives. Explain to the paramedics what you know about how much alcohol your friend has ingested. Be honest and thorough when talking to the paramedics. If you think your friend has alcohol poisoning º do not give him or her a cup of coffee or put your friend in a cold shower. do not let your friend go swimming or engage in other physical activities. do not let your friend drive or ride with someone else who has been drinking Everyone is not getting drunk.

Activity	Chain of Life
Time of Year	Any time of year
Summary	The Chain of Life is a simple activity that provides a visual reminder of the importance of watching out for each other and keeping the school community safe and substance-free.
Objective	To highlight the personal responsibility each student has in maintaining a safe and substance-free lifestyle and to remind students that using alcohol and other drugs can be deadly
Materials Needed	Strips of colored paper Glue sticks, tape, or staples Pens or markers

What to Do

1. Cut colored paper into strips.
2. Give each student and teacher one strip of paper to sign his/her name. Try to involve everyone in your school.
3. Glue, tape, or staple each strip together into a chain.
4. Display. Try to hang the chain where everybody can see it.
5. Next to or above the chain, add a sign: "Stay safe and substance-free – don’t break the chain of life."

Ways to Get Creative

• The links in the chain can be color coded by grade or homeroom.
• Class slogans can be added.
• Students can glue photos to their link.
• Connect handprints or other designs instead of chain links.

Download this infomation in MS Word format.

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