The Problem with Alcohol
Like their adult role models, teens drink for difference reasons:

• To fit in
• To feel grown-up
• To be able to let loose
• To make themselves feel better
• To find out what drinking is all about
• To be defiant

About 30% of boys and 22% of girls classify themselves as “drinkers” by the age of 13. According to the Office of Substance Abuse Prevention, millions of teens have an alcohol problem. One spokesperson says “they think it’s cool to drink.”

Unfortunately most people don’t realize how dangerous alcohol can be. The central nervous system, which includes the brain, is the first part of the body to feel the effects of alcohol. When it first reaches the brain, it slows brain cell activity, making the drinker feel more relaxed and uninhibited. But as more alcohol reaches the brain, the drinker becomes clumsy, his or her speech slurs, and the drinker may experience numbness, blurred vision, dizziness, poor motor control, and loss of balance and coordination. Alcohol, when consumed in large quantities, can even act as an anesthetic, causing unconsciousness and even death. Unlike food, fruit juice or soda pop, alcohol is not digested. It is absorbed directly into the blood-stream and carried immediately throughout the body. So when people drink beer, wine or liquor they feel the effects all over their bodies. Too much drinking may lead to malnutrition, lower resistance to infection and increased risk of cancers of the mouth, throat and liver.

Because a young person’s body is still growing and developing, scientists believe that the effects of alcohol can be more serious for a child or teenager than for an adult. Young drinkers also may become dependent on alcohol much more quickly than adults – even if they drink only wine coolers.

Why Coolers Aren’t

Alcohol has been called a “gateway” drug because it can lead people to use other, harder drugs. Wine coolers should be considered a gateway drink because their sweet taste and snappy packaging make them acceptable to people who aren’t used to drinking. Advertising is deceitful and tells people –

“cool people drink wine coolers so join the crowd”
“you’ll be popular if you buy this”
“if you drink wine coolers like this or that famous movie star or celebrity, it must be good”
“this wine cooler will give you charm, wit, beauty and elegance like this picture”

The key is – not to buy any of these. The advertisers don’t have your well-being in mind; they don’t care whether they make you popular, attractive or cool. They just want your money.

The alcohol in wine coolers is a drug that can hurt your mind, body and relationships. Drinking them does not guarantee you anything other than bad breath. And you can be cool or famous without drinking.

One famous family music group says: “We rehearse and perform a lot. It’s hard work, so we have to be physically fit. Our minds have to be free from alcohol, tobacco and other drugs for us to do our best. Besides we have to work together as a group. Alcohol won’t help us do that.”

When it comes to wine coolers: BE SMART, DON’T START – JUST SAY NO.

Condensed from “Wine Coolers: The Uncool Coolers” – The Drug Facts Series.

Nicotine is the primary active stimulant ingredient is also the cause of the addiction. Safer, but still not recommended, form that could be used to get off of Tobacco are the new E-cigarettes which only contain the Nicotine. But just like the Nicotine gum they remain addictive and should only be used as a means of quitting the harmful habit.

The Tar from the smoke is what causes cancer in the lungs, mouth, throat, voice box, kidney, bladder, and pancreas. Smoking can also cause Heart attacks, Strokes, Infertility, and the slow and painful death of Emphysema

You may not smoke yourself, but watch out also for second hand smoke, which is just as bad over a long term period.

Pregnant Woman who smoke are more likely to have Miscarriages, Premature births, Low birth rate, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), Heart malformations, 50% more likely to suffer childhood cancer, Hyperactivity – other behavioral problems, and Lower IQ – delayed academic development

Spit Tobacco causes Gum disease, Cancer of the mouth and throat, Tooth decay and loss Leukoplakia.

There is NO safe form of tobacco, so join with us and stop or pledge not even to start using Tobacco! Romans 12:1 urges us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God for His service. Pledge to keep your body free from alcohol, illegal drugs, and tobacco.  Be an example. Spread the word about the harm these substances cause.

Isn’t it time to take a personal stand and pledge for yourself to abstain from Drugs and Alcohol?  bove are two pledge cards which you can printout and sign. It’s time to live the vibrant, health and happy life that God intended for you! Make the choice and feel the difference! Also here are two links to PDF files which you can print out and share with your friends and family if you wish. Orange Drug Free Youth Promise Business Card and Green Drug Free Youth Promise Business Card

Some of the danger signs of Rape
Reduce the risk of being raped by learning to recognize the following danger signals and hazardous situations: One-on-one situations in which alcohol is consumed.  Acquaintance rape is widely associated with drinking. Instances in which you are the only woman, especially if people are drinking.  There’s safety in numbers. Individuals who, after consuming alcohol, do not respect personal boundaries. Individuals who attempt to use guilt or accuse you of being uptight if you resist their sexual advances. Heavy drinkers.  An intoxicated person may be more likely to become sexually aggressive, angry, or violent if rejected.

Source:  US Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

Partner in rape – between 1/3rd and ¾ of sexual assaults involved alcohol use.  Alcohol-related rape  tend to be more forceful and violent.
Partner in home violence – a study reveals rates of violence to be 15x higher in homes where the husband is drunk.
Partner in murder – In 60% of homicide cases, the murderers were drinking when they killed.
Out of Control?
Researchers believe that alcohol may contribute to violence in several ways: Alcohol robs good judgment and clear thinking.  Affects the brain’s neurotransmitters.  Mess with nerve cells, and you basically end up with an out-of-order brain.  Good judgment sours.  After drinking  a guy might confuse a girl’s hello as a flirtatious come-on.  Or a girl might not notice a guy’s sexual intentions until it’s too late.  One misunderstanding can lead to rape or other violence. Alcohol can amplify expectations that lead to violence.  Drinking alcohol has psychological  effects.  Guys often believe that alcohol will make them feel less inhibited and more powerful, sexual, and aggressive.  And they may view girls who drink as prime targets for sexual abuse.  One study found that people who’ve had alcohol or who think they’ve had alcohol tend to act more aggressively than others.  Another study found that men who believe they’ve been drinking are more turned on by the idea of rape. Alcohol may make you feel less responsible for your behavior.  Following drinking binges, college students may brag about fist fights, vandalism, forced sex, and other socially unacceptable behaviors.  But a person who drinks is still responsible for pain and damage.
Let’s be Honest
Remember Lisa and Rob?  In her right mind, Lisa would have exercised more caution on her date.  She would have insisted on staying with a group of people.   She would have been less flirtatious and quicker to pick up on Rob’s sexual advances.  One simple choice to drink and she became a victim.  She was not responsible for her rape, since she said no. But she might have avoided alcohol and a date who drank. In his right mind, Rob would not have sexually assaulted Lisa. He would have exercised good judgment.  One simple choice to drink, and he ended up a rapist. Alcohol is mind-altering, behavior-changing drug.  But that’s no excuse for violent behavior.
Reduce your risk of becoming a victim or a criminal.  Keep your wits about you, and join millions of teenagers and adults who have chosen not to use alcohol.

(This is a condensed version of a brochure written by Kevin Waite. It is one in a series of brochures called The Drug Facts Series.  Other brochures are available through The Health Connection.  Call USA 1-800-548-8700 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-548-8700 end_of_the_skype_highlighting)

Short-Term Effects

The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta9tetrahydrocannabinol). When smoked, THC passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which transports it to the brain and other organs. When it reaches the brain, THC connects with a certain type of receptor on nerve cells in areas that affect coordination, thought, memory, concentration, sensory and time perception, and pleasure. This causes the marijuana “high.”

Marijuana users can experience these short-term effects:

• Difficulty in thinking and problem solving
• Problems with short term memory and learning
• Loss of coordination
• Distorted perception

These effects can make activities like driving dangerous while under the influence of the drug.

Tobacco is the single greatest cause of preventable death in the US and worldwide. Tobacco use leads most commonly to diseases affecting the heart and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, high blood pressure, and various forms of cancer.

The effects depend on the number of years that a person smokes and on how much the person smokes. Starting smoking earlier in life and smoking cigarettes higher in tar increases the risk of these diseases. Cigarettes sold in 3rd world countries tend to have higher tar content, and are less likely to be filtered, potentially increasing vulnerability to tobacco-related disease in these regions.

The WHO estimates that tobacco caused 5.4 million deaths in 2004 and 100 million deaths over the course of the 20th century.Similarly, the United States CDC describes tobacco use as “the single most important preventable risk to human health in developed countries and an important cause of premature death worldwide.”

Smoke contains several carcinogenic pyrolytic products that bind to DNA and cause many genetic mutations. There are over 19 known chemical carcinogens in cigarette smoke. Tobacco also contains nicotine. When tobacco is smoked, nicotine causes physical and psychological dependency. Tobacco use is a significant factor in miscarriages among pregnant smokers, it contributes to a number of other threats to the health of the fetus such as premature births and low birth weight and increases by 1.4 to 3 times the chance for SIDS.