Transcript PowerPoint - Perry County Prosecutor`s Office

Perry County
Prosecutor’s
Office
ALCOHOL
Know the FACTS.
Know the LAW.
What is
alcohol?
Alcohol is the most
commonly used drug
in the United States.
It is a depressant
that is made from
various grapes,
grains, and berries.
21
In 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,
consumption or
transportation of
alcohol 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
charged with this
offense will have to
appear in juvenile
court and may be
placed on
probation.
But I only
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
penalty
for this…
Up to a one year
suspension of
driving
privileges.
What is
BAC? And
how is it
measured?
BAC stands for Blood
Alcohol Content. It
is the concentration
of alcohol in blood,
measured, by
volume, as a
percentage.
The equation looks
like this…
Law Enforcement
Officers use a Portable
Breath Test to
determine a person’s
BAC.
It was only a
beer. I wasn’t
drinking hard
liquor.
A drink is a drink is a drink…
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.
12 ounces of Beer
=
1.5 ounces of whiskey
=
=
5 ounces of wine
=
Don’t be 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 wouldn’t
test positive for
alcohol on a
breathalyzer
after only one
drink, would
they?
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
people are
actually
drinking and
driving on our
roads?
During 2004, about
1.4 MILLION drivers
were arrested for
driving under the
influence of alcohol
or narcotics.
16,694 people in
the United
States died in
alcohol-related
motor vehicle
crashes.
Impaired driving
is the #1 cause of
death for every
age group between
3 and 33.
In 2003, 25% of
U.S. drivers ages
15 to 20 who died
in motor vehicle
crashes had been
drinking alcohol.
A higher
BAC
increases
your
chances of
being
involved
in fatal
single
vehicle
accidents.
What about
Perry
County?
Alcohol Related Driving Statistics
277
300
278
264
250
192
200
161
150
100
50
0
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
How can I tell
if another
driver is
impaired?
WEAVING
•The effects of alcohol can
cause intoxicated drivers to
have difficulty steering.
JERKING MOTIONS
•Short mental lapses can cause
intoxicated drivers to not keep a
steady speed even on clear roads.
QUICK STOPS
•Rather than easing up to a stop,
intoxicated drivers may make sudden stops
which can cause accidents for others as well.
SPEEDING
•That false feeling of control makes
drinking drivers THINK they can
safely speed.
RECKLESS OR
AGGRESSIVE
BEHAVIOR
•Passing illegally, tailgating, and
crowding other drivers off the roadway
are extremely dangerous to everyone
on the road.
An actual
impaired driver…
What can I 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
someone who
has been
drinking, don’t
let them drive!!
Report reckless
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
QUIZ!
TRUE OR FALSE
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
REMEMBER
Don’t be a
loser.