Topic of the Month- October 2007

Most UT Tyler Students Make Healthy Choices:

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

81%  Choose Not to Smoke

Did you know that smoking is the largest cause of preventable death in the country? One in five deaths in the United States is related to tobacco use. And every ten seconds, someone dies from a disease related to smoking.  Smoking can affect your heart, lungs, eyes, nose, throat, mouth, skin, reproductive system, bones, blood, and digestive system. 

Did you know that nicotine is actually more addictive than heroin? Or that smoking just four cigarettes can give a person a 90% chance of becoming addicted? (www.tobaccofreeU.org)

96% Choose Not to Use Any Form of Illegal Substance

“The short-term effects of marijuana can include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate. Research findings for long-term marijuana abuse indicate some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs.” (http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html)

74% Drink 4 or Less Alcoholic Drinks When They “Party”

Although most students at UT Tyler usually choose not to drink when they party (53%), others who do may not realize that alcohol is a drug, and should be treated as such.  Drinking to excess (more than 5) can affect your judgment, and can lead to such things as fights, risky sexual encounters, and falls.  Health risks for chronic use can consist of weight gain, high blood pressure, heart failure, liver disease, and others.

(http://www.bacchusnetwork.org/alcohol-education.asp)

87% of Students, IF They Choose to Drink, Eat Before and/During Drinking

The amount of alcohol in a person’s body is measured by the weight of the alcohol in a certain volume of blood. This is called the blood alcohol concentration, or “BAC.”  Many factors can impact your BAC, including how much you drink, how fast you drink, your gender, your weight, and how much food you have in your stomach.  Alcohol will be absorbed slower if you have had something to eat. (http://stopimpaireddriving.org/ABCsBACWeb/index.htm)

61% ALWAYS Avoid Drinking Games

Alcohol Poisoning Can Be Deadly!  If you see someone who has been drinking and is unconscious/semiconscious (can’t be awakened); cold and clammy; has pale or bluish skin; is breathing irregular, slow, or shallow; or vomits while “sleeping” or passed out without waking up, IMMEDIATELY call 911, turn the person on his/her side to prevent choking in case of vomiting, and don’t leave them alone until help arrives.

(http://www.brad21.com/)

69% ALWAYS Use a Designated Driver If They Choose to Drink

“According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2006, 17,602 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes - an average of one every half-hour. These deaths constituted approximately 41 percent of the 42,642 total traffic fatalities.  Drunk (those at or above an illegal BAC of .08) drivers were involved in 13,470 fatalities in 2006.”  REMEMBER: A Designated Driver is NOT the Least Drunk Person in the Group; it is Someone Who Has NOT Had Any Alcoholic Beverages.  (http://www.madd.org/)

84%  of Students Don’t Regret What They Did Last Night

Statistics taken from the ACHA/NCHA 2006 survey of UT Tyler students.