Drinking Affects Your Thinking

Drinking Affects Your Thinking

A Presentation

by Year 7 pupils at

St. Columba’s

Primary School, Clady.

Learning Intention

•Understand the impact that alcohol has on the mind and the body.

Success Criteria

•Research appropriate information.

•Interview relevant Agencies working with drink related issues.

•Collate and interpret data and statistics.

•Use role play to empathise underage drinking.

•Outline recommendations and a way forward.

• Alcohol is a clear drink that is made from corn, barley, grain,

rye or a beverage containing ethyl. • It is made by fermenting different ingredients.

– rain for whisky and beer – potatoes for vodka – grapes for wine and brandy – apples for cider – honey for mead – sugar for rum.

• Although alcohol will give you a lift at first it is actually a depressant.

• The scientific name is ethylalcohol but the common street names are booze, bevy, jars, liquor.

What is Alcohol ?

Why drink ?

People drink because of :• Peer Pressure • Social acceptance • To feel relaxed, more confident and happier• To celebrate an event • Some young people drink because it makes

them feel older, or because it gives them a certain image among friends.

• Some people drink when they go to parties and nightclubs to enjoy themselves more. T.G.A.D.A.P.A.S.A.P

• Gain weight• Sick and dizzy• Bad breath• Clumsy• Slur your speech- effects hearing, blurs your eyesight • Skin break out• Out of control- loss of balance, aggressive• Think differently• More confident • Big and Brave • Slows senses

• Slows reaction time- Car crashes

The Downside of Alcohol.

What this leads to…

• Crime/A Criminal Record for Life! • Relationship Problems• Peer Pressure• Addiction• Violence• Theft • Depression• Serious Health Problems• Suicide…………..

Go on, have

another beer….

All this drinking will SERIOUSLY affect your thinking….

Effects Alcohol has on the Brain

• Difficulty walking• Blurred vision• Slurred speech• Slowed reaction times• Impaired memory• Slows senses• A.S.B

Cerebral Cortex: Main area involving thinking, decision making, emotions and the five senses. Long term alcohol abuse can permanently damage this region.

Cerebellum: Important part for coordination.

Alcohol can slow your reflexes and loose your balance.Medulla: Breathing and

maintaining body temperature are controlled here. Drinking a lot of alcohol can shut down the medulla leading to a coma.

Central Nervous System: Alcohol slows down this system making you think, speak and move more slowly.

Hypothalamus : Here alcohol can slow your heart rate and may make you hungrier and thirstier.

Hippocampus: Your memory is controlled here. Drinking can cause you to blackout or forget a period of time making it difficult to learn.

Do You Want To Turn Out Like This?

Amy Winehouse Pete Doherty Lindsey Lohan

Students from the North West College and local primary schools across Strabane District took part in Stage Write 2010, a project aimed at developing short performance pieces based on the theme of "My Place, My Community".

Our Y7 class wrote a short story called

‘Crime Doesn't Pay’.

It was then scripted by students at

NWIFE into a play and we performed it in the Alley Theatre.

We adapted our play for

our powerpoint presentatio

n and called it

‘Susie-The Boozy

Loozer!’

Hey guys……

wat’s up?!!I intend to get stoven

the nite!

Susie, where’s your blue bag?

I’ve no money for

drink…..but I cant tell

them that..

That was some break-in last nite. Heard the

‘untouchables’ done it.

Wait da ya see

us in action….

This sounds

like trouble!!

Break it up lads!

Drunk again lads. When will you all wise up?

Let me at him – you’re not so smart

now Andy, eh?...

…so it’s 6pm, Orchard Street. We’ve been watching this pair long enough….they got their

pension today so we’ll be loaded….

..that’s where my Gran and Pop live..

By the time I have 2 more in

me I’ll be up for it!!

Packie, aren’t we blessed to have such a good wee girl in our

Susie.

Aye… surely Annie..

If only……..

What’s that noise Packie?

Eh?Wat’s wat

dear?

Please leave us alone. Don’t hurt

us.

Where is it? Where’s the cash?

Quick, I hear the cops!!

If you as much as look sideways in the coming year I will send you all to

prison. I doubt if you are all particularly proud of this part of your life – see how

drinking seriously affects your thinking!

VerdictJudge Judy sentenced all 6 offenders to 2 years on probation with condition they all attend alcohol and anger management courses.

Next time it could be a prison sentence!

I’ll not be that Susie, the boozy loozer – I’ll

make my grandparents proud

of me…

Alcohol-related Death Rates, N.Ireland 1991-2008

The number of alcohol-related deaths in Northern Ireland has consistently increased since the early 1990’sSource: www.officeofnationalstatistics.com, www.TheSite.org and www.4ni.co.ukPublished 28th January 2010 @ 9am

Ireland's

drinking

related crim

e is on

an upward s

piral.

Crime committed under

the influence of alcohol has

gone up to 2,932 incidents in

2006 from the 2,330

reported in 2002.

Drink driv

ing was

responsible for th

e

majority of th

e

figures

"Alcohol can be very cheap and easy to get hold of. We need to look at a pricing policy that takes drinks out of young people's hands."

Alcohol related reasons and

excuses are responsible for

roughly 14 million lost working

days in the UK every year.

Booze features in almost 40%

of all domestic violence

incidents

Every Christmas,

10,000 people seek

help for alcohol-related

problems.

Booze is believed to

feature as a reason behind 25% of all school

exclusions in the UK

Facts on Under Age drinking-N.I.

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

0.45

1997 2003

To escape problems

To be confident

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1997 2003

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Year 12

Experimentation starts early. The average age for the first drink is around 11 years old.

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has launched an integrated, co-ordinated action plan to prevent, reduce and address young people’s drinking.

N

U

M

B

E

R

O

F

C

H

I

L

D

R

E

N

source- (/www.healthpromotionagency.org.uk/).

At what age? Why Drink?

Parents buying their underage children Alcohol

Mum killed by driver under the

influence of alcohol

Driver, 18, five tim

es over alcohol limit!

Strabane Chronicle

Sep 2007

Strabane WeeklyMar.2010 Strabane

Weekly

March 2010

School damaged with underage drinkers.

Strabane Weekly

Jan 2008Drunk Granny Taking Alcohol Damages Kids in the Back Seat of the Car

Strabane Weekly

March 2010

Play Park Hijacked for Teen Drinking and Sex.

Strabane Weekly

June 2007

Recommended maximum levels for a week - 21 units (men), 14 units (women). It is not recommended to drink more than 4 units a day for an adult man and 3 units a day for an adult woman or health will be impacted. Binge drinking is considered as over 8 units per session for an adult man and 6 units or over for adult women.

Source-www.DistrictPolicing.com/know_the_score_booklet

Alcohol Units

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Types of Alcohol

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The real killers on the road are

• Sleep • Poor concentration • Errors of judgement • Errors of observation • Dangerous attitudes

• Don’t try to act cool and then you’ll not drive like a fool!• Drink Less and you won’t get depressed!!!

Roy Warke from Hope North West delivers invaluable programmes in our school.

Hope North West is a local charity organisation providing quality information and support services across all sections of the community on promoting drug free lifestyles and preventing drug related harm.

Roy Warke – Education Officer with Hope N.W. delivers a ‘child friendly’ quality programme in our school annually. His support and guidance is invaluable.

Your Choice Your Life

Drunkenness is no excuse for crime

Drinking effects your

hearing, speech and

eyesight

Alan interviewed a 15 year old boy

and asked him, “ why do you drink.”He said, “T.G.A.D.A.P. A.S.A.P.”

Alan Mc Gonagle, Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) visits our school

Almost 50% of

everything I deal

with involves

alcohol

How does drinking

effect your thinking?

What is the legal age to drink?

18 is the legal age to drink alcohol

Drinking slows senses, slows reaction time and your brains goes into slow motion

“I enjoyed the hour with Alan Mc Gonagle but I was shocked by some of the facts.”

Strabane Weekly News- Thursday 3rd December 2009

Thieves Make off with Money Set Aside for School's Christmas Pageant

•The principal of a rural school has spoken of her deep “disappointment” after savings earmarked for a Christmas Pageant were stolen during a weekend break in .

•Robbers smashed windows at St.Columba’s P.S in Clady and ransacked the office, before making away with a safe containing cash.

•The gang let off the school’s alarms in the early hours of 12. 45 am on Sunday morning 29 th Nov.

•Windows leading to the Assembly Hall, the Staff room and the School’s Office were shattered.

We had a recent break-in in our school and Maria Sweeney who works with Youth Justice Agency is working with our Principal, the offender & family to restore justice in our community. This is ongoing and proving to be a very effective tooI in making amends. This happened because of alcohol. We have learned that….

Communication is the key to Restorative Justice

The Youth Justice Agency of NI aims to prevent offending by children. In doing so, it delivers a range of services, often in partnership with others, to help children address their offending behaviour, divert them from crime, assist their integration into the community, and to meet the needs of victims of crime.

Maria Sweeney is working with our principal, the offender and family to restore justice in our

community.

Our aim is to reduce youth crime and to build confidence in the Youth Justice System. I

usually work with children aged 10-17yrs who have

offended or are at serious risk of offending.

Co-ordinator of The Youth Justice Agency visits our school.

•Alcohol was the reason that

the young men broke into

our school. Drinking

certainly affected thinking in

this case!

Maria interviews Ian, a local PSNI officer Could you tell me

more about ‘Operation

Snapper’ aimed to tackle underage drinking in our

locality.

Well Maria, during the summer

months, when schools are out the

PSNI, province wide step up ‘Operation

Snapper’. We visit ‘hotspots’ e.g. In

Strabane we check Riverwalk, Score,

Bypass, The Meadows and give support/advice to on-street drinkers.

Targets To reduce the number of incidents of anti-social behaviour To establish a baseline figure for the number of referrals/on street drinking. To establish a baseline figure for the number of referrals for underage drinking. To develop and implement the personal safety programme.Promote a safer community.

STRABANEDistrict Policing Plan 2007-2008

Source- www. psni.police.uk

Foyle Health and Social Trust

So Where Can You Go For Advice And Help?

B F A S G Ballymena Family Addicts Support Group

C H I L L

Counselling

Help

Information on

Lifestyle And Living

For Young People

H U R THave

UR Tomorrows

Northland

Alcoholics Anonymous

Al-Anon

Alateen

Stauros

Foundation

Hope North West

Drinkaware Trust

Health Promotion Agency

Way forward ……..• Action Plan – ‘Addressing Young Persons Drinking in N.I.’

launched by Minister Mc Gimpsey in June 2009• Targeting 18 – 25yr olds• Work with Alcohol industry – putting sensible drinking message

on alcohol bottles• TV Advertisements• Responsible Retailing• Leaflets for Parental Guidance• Focus on

1. Reducing drinking intake by providing information, education and training2. Restricting supply of alcohol3. Providing treatment and support for those who require additional help

ALCOHOL FREE ZONE!!!!

Be fit

Be Happy

Primary Source

InterviewsAlan Mc Gonagle – Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT)Maria Sweeny – Coordinator of the Youth Justice AgencyIan- PSNI Officer Roy Warke – Education officer Hope N.W

Photographs Yr 7 production Suzie the Boozy Loser

Raw DataOfficial records

Websiteswww.hopenorthwest.org.ukwww.knowyourlimits.info.www.publichealth.hscni.net www.officeofnationalstatistics.comwww.4ni.co.ukwww.TheSite.orgwww.psni.police.ukwww.healthpromotionagency.org.uk

LeafletsJust the Tonic You, Your Child and AlcoholYou don’t have to be drunk to be doing real damage.Reduce your drinking, reduce your risk.

Secondary Source