Alcoholism In Teens

Audience: 6-12; Synopsis: This video featuring the voices of Maine youth was produced as part of the media campaign: “If You Think Most Kids Drink–Think Again.” The “Think Again” campaign was a series of 4 television ads featuring Maine youth. The conceptual model represented by the theme “Think Most Kids Drink? Think Again!” is grounded in research that demonstrates the importance of perceived social norms in young people’s decisions about alcohol use. For a variety of reasons, including a barrage of media messages that glamorize alcohol use, young people often over perceive these norms. Their mistaken belief that “everybody else is drinking” leads to a subtle pressure to conform to a norm that doesn’t exist in reality. The fact is that most middle and high school students in Maine are not using alcohol. This expanded video incorporates additional footage with the ads to delve into some of the issues around underage drinking. The accompanying guide can be used to stimulate a discussion about underage drinking. Public domain video.

Duration : 0:6:22

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OZARK, Mo. — A family wants answers about what happened to their son that left him hospitalized. Early Saturday morning, police found Mace Hutchinson, 16, underneath the Highway F overpass over U.S. 65.

Mace ended up in intensive care at a hospital. His parents believe the actions of Ozark police officers contributed to his injuries and slowed doctors’ abilities to speed his recovery.

“We called the police. My wife was afraid he was going to get ran over or hit,” said witness Doug Messersmith.

Messersmith and his wife were the last known people to see 16-year-old boy walking, shortly before their phone call to 911.

“He looked a little agitated but, other than that, he didn’t look to be falling down drunk or anything like that,” he said.

By the time officers arrived, the teen was off the 30-foot overpass, lying on the shoulder below along U.S. 65, with no good explanation as to how he got there.

“According to the doctors, all injuries are consistent with a fall,” said his aunt, Samantha.

Mace’s dad believes it was just that, a fall, not a jump. The question is why.

“They tested his system. He was clean of drugs and alcohol. We don’t know why unless just being in shock and the whole thing in itself caused him to forget everything,” said Hutchinson.

His aunt says he is undergoing major surgery for a broken back and broken heel. While he was lying on the ground, she wonders why Ozark police used an electric stun gun on him up to 19 times.

“I’m not an officer, but i don’t see the reason for ‘Tasering’ somebody laying there with a broken back. I don’t consider that a threat,”

His dad says the use of the stun gun delayed what would have been immediate surgery by two days.

“The ‘Tasering’ increased his white blood cell count and caused him to have a temperature so they could not go into the operation.”

“He refused to comply with the officers and so the officers had to deploy their Tasers in order to subdue him. He is making incoherent statements; he’s also making statements such as, ‘Shoot cops, kill cops,’ things like that. So there was cause for concern to the officers,” said Ozark Police Capt. Thomas Rousset.

Police say although there are several unanswered questions; the reason for the use of a stun gun is not one of them.

“It’s a big concern for the officers to keep this guy out of traffic, to keep him from getting hurt,” said Rousset.

Mace was still in intensive care on Wednesday night, listed in fair condition. He was scheduled for surgery again on Thursday. The family, along with the Ozark Police Department, hopes someone will see this report and come forward with some information. You can call (417) 699-4789 with information or call the Ozark Police Department.

Duration : 0:2:53

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Discussion of the problem of teenage drinking and driving, made in cooperation with the Yale Center of Alcohol Studies. 3 college men, one doing no drinking, one drinking beer and one drinking heavily are studied. Results are compared to effects of equivalent amounts in rats. Depicts an accidents resulting from only casual drinking before driving. Shows rat experiments, teenagers drinking in bar and dancing, and alludes to death of one couple because of driving while intoxicated. Producer: Centron Corporation. Young drivers are a high-risk group, partially because they are young and just learning the rules, but that is not the only reason. Young drivers often think they are invincible; that the crashes caused by teenage drinking and driving reported on the news will never happen to them. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the youngest drivers are less likely to drive after drinking, but are more likely to crash when they do, because of inexperience with both alcohol and driving and the combination of the two. In 2003, 27 percent of 16-20-year-old passenger vehicle drivers fatally injured in crashes had high BACs (0.08 percent or more). The percentage of high BACs was much lower among females (13 percent) than among males (33 percent), and also was lower among 16-17-year-old drivers (16 percent) than among 18-19-year-old (30 percent) or 20-year-old (35 percent) drivers. In many high schools, students come face to face with the effects of teenage drinking and driving, with presentations from groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), or Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). These education programs help to raise awareness. The federal government has taken steps in the past decade to bring attention to the issue, and there are consequences for young drivers charged with drinking and driving. In many states, a teenager will lose their license for a period of a year or longer if they are convicted of driving while intoxicated. On November 28, 1995, President Clinton signed legislation that included a provision forcing states to adopt and enforce a “zero tolerance” policy against teenage drinking and driving. Since that legislation’s inception, “zero tolerance” policies have been criticized, saying that such policies are unfair because they may unfairly punish an innocent teenager who may be driving an intoxicated friend home or because they are in the same area as a teen who has been drinking. It seems that zero tolerance policies may not be all bad however. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, studies of zero tolerance laws indicate they reduce crashes in [the 13-19] age group. A study of 12 states passing zero tolerance laws reported a 20 percent reduction in the proportion of fatal crashes that were single-vehicle nighttime events (crashes likely to involve alcohol impairment) among drivers ages 15-20. Alcohol and a teenage driver is a very dangerous combination, one that may be avoided through parental involvement and education. Keywords: Substance abuse: Alcohol; Car culture: Youth; Safety: Automotive; Alcoholism drinking colleges students men boys rats experiments laboratories safety accidents mourning grief. Alcohol Safety films Safety education Drunk driving Teenagers Bars Roadhouses Automobiles (accidents) Accidents (automobiles) Lawrence, Kansas (history and culture) Restaurants Rats Scientists Research Experiments Chemistry Danger Death Danger Lurks Safety. Creative Commons license: Public Domain.

Duration : 0:14:41

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New DVD From
State Attorney Steve Meadows

“Every driver should see this important DVD about the dangers of drinking and driving.” – Steve Meadows

Duration : 0:0:52

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