Perry County Perry County Prosecutor’s Prosecutor’s

OfficeOffice

ALCOHOLALCOHOLKnow the FACTS.Know the FACTS.

Know the LAW.Know the LAW.

What is What is alcohol?alcohol?

Alcohol is the most Alcohol is the most commonly used commonly used

drug in the United in the United States. It is a States. It is a

depressant that is that is made from various made from various grapes, grains, and grapes, grains, and

berries.berries.

2121In 1984, Congress passed the

National Minimum Drinking Age Act, making the minimum age to buy, possess, or consume alcohol in all fifty states 21 years of age.

It seems like EVERYONE

drinks before they are 21,

what is the big deal?

Illegal possession, Illegal possession, consumption or consumption or

transportation of transportation of alcohol by a minoralcohol by a minor

A Class C Misdemeanor

•If minor is age18, drivers license may be suspended for up to 1 year.

•If minor is under age 18, drivers license may be suspended for up to 60 days.

Class C Misdemeanors may also carry up to $500 in

fines AND up to 60 days in JAIL.

Juveniles who are Juveniles who are charged with this charged with this

offense will have to offense will have to appear in juvenile appear in juvenile court and may be court and may be

placed on placed on probation.probation.

But I only But I only had one!had one!

Indiana has a Zero Tolerance

Law.

A person under the age of 21 who operates a

vehicle with an alcohol concentration

equivalent to at least 0.02 gram but less than

0.08 gram of alcohol commits a Class C

infraction.

The The penalty penalty

for this…for this…

Up to a one year Up to a one year suspension of suspension of

driving driving privileges.privileges.

What is What is BAC? And BAC? And how is it how is it

measured?measured?

BAC stands for BAC stands for Blood Alcohol Blood Alcohol

Content. It is the Content. It is the concentration of concentration of alcoholalcohol in in bloodblood, ,

measured, by measured, by volume, as a volume, as a percentage.percentage.

The equation looks The equation looks like this…like this…

Law Enforcement Law Enforcement Officers use a Officers use a

Portable Breath Test Portable Breath Test to determine a to determine a person’s BAC.person’s BAC.

It was only a It was only a beer. I beer. I wasn’t wasn’t

drinking hard drinking hard liquor.liquor.

One 12 oz. beer has the same amount of alcohol as one 1.5 oz. shot of whiskey or other hard liquor and a 5

oz. glass of wine.

A drink is a drink is a drink…

= =

12 ounces of Beer 1.5 ounces of whiskey 5 ounces of wine= =

Don’t be Don’t be fooled…fooled…

A wine cooler may seem like an innocent juice drink, but it contains the same amount of

alcohol as a 12 oz. Beer.

A person A person wouldn’t test wouldn’t test positive for positive for alcohol on a alcohol on a breathalyzer breathalyzer

after only one after only one drink, would drink, would

they?they?

YES!!YES!!

In 1998, Mr. Ricky Carter was driving while intoxicated and ended the lives of four young

girls in a tragic and unnecessary accident. Mr. Carter’s Blood

Alcohol Concentration (BAC) was .16, over twice the legal limit in

Texas.A jury found him guilty and the court sentenced him to a prison

term of twenty years.

This is what was left of the vehicle.

Another vehicle involved in a drunk driving accident.

K. Rippa

How many How many people are people are

actually actually drinking and drinking and

driving on our driving on our roads?roads?

During 2004, about During 2004, about 1.4 1.4 MILLIONMILLION drivers drivers were arrested for were arrested for driving under the driving under the

influence of alcohol influence of alcohol or narcotics.or narcotics.

16,694 people in 16,694 people in the United States the United States died in alcohol-died in alcohol-related motor related motor

vehicle crashes.vehicle crashes.

Impaired driving Impaired driving is the is the #1#1 cause of cause of deathdeath for every for every

age group age group between 3 and between 3 and

33.33.

In 2003, 25% of In 2003, 25% of U.S. drivers U.S. drivers ages ages

15 to 2015 to 20 who who died in motor died in motor

vehicle crashes vehicle crashes had been had been

drinking alcohol.drinking alcohol.

A higher A higher BAC BAC increases increases your your chances chances of being of being involved involved in in fatal single single vehicle vehicle accidents.accidents.

What about What about Perry Perry

County?County?

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

20062005200420032002

Alcohol Related Driving Statistics

192

278264

277

161

How can I tell How can I tell if another if another driver is driver is

impaired?impaired?

•The effects of alcohol can cause intoxicated drivers to

have difficulty steering.

WEAVINGWEAVING

JERKINGJERKING MOTIONSMOTIONS

•Short mental lapses can cause intoxicated drivers to not keep a steady speed even on clear roads.

QUICK STOPSQUICK STOPS

•Rather than easing up to a stop, intoxicated drivers may make sudden stops which can cause accidents for others as well.

SPEEDINSPEEDINGG

•That false feeling of control makes drinking drivers THINK they can safely speed.

RECKLESS OR RECKLESS OR AGGRESSIVE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORBEHAVIOR

•Passing illegally, tailgating, and crowding other drivers off the roadway are extremely dangerous to everyone on the road.

An actual An actual impaired driver…impaired driver…

What can I What can I do?do?

NEVER get behind the wheel if you have been drinking. You are not

only putting yourself at risk, but you could

cause injury to your passengers, other

drivers, or pedestrians.

If you see If you see someone who someone who

has been has been drinking, drinking, don’tdon’t let them drive!! let them drive!!

Report Report reckless reckless drivers.drivers.

If you spot a reckless driver, get the license plate number if you can. Report the vehicle information to

the local authorities. You could be saving someone’s life.

POP POP QUIZ!QUIZ!

TRUE OR TRUE OR FALSEFALSE

Alcohol is a drug.

TRUE

A shot of hard alcohol has more

alcohol than a can of beer.

FALSE

Alcohol is a stimulant.

FALSE

Drinking too much alcohol on one

occasion can result in death.

TRUE

The legal BAC limit for minors driving in

Indiana is .08 %.

FALSE

REMEMBERREMEMBER

Don’t be a Don’t be a loser.loser.