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December Offline Happenings!
Thursday, December 5, Noon
Siouxland CARES Advisory Board
Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, 101 Pierce Street
Sioux City, Iowa
Thursday, December 5, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
SPF SIG Training
Stoney Creek Inn
Sioux City, Iowa
Monday, December 9, 7 p.m.
Sioux City Mayor’s Youth Commission Senior Recognition
City Hall, 405 6th Street, 5th Floor
Sioux City, Iowa
Tuesday, December 17, 10 am
Drunk and Drugged Driving Month Press Conference
Mercy Medical Center, 801 5th Street
Sioux City, Iowa
Celebrate with Care!
The holiday season is a time for joy and celebration. It is also when drunk drivers are most likely to hit the road. If you are going to drink alcohol this holiday season, please make sure you don’t get behind the wheel. The added tragedy is that drunk and drugged driving is entirely preventable. There are some alternatives:
- Designate a sober driver.
- Call a taxicab.
- Stay the night where you are.
Safety Tips
During the holiday season, and year-round, take steps to make sure that you and everyone you celebrate with avoids driving under the influence of alcohol.
- Plan ahead. Always designate a non-drinking driver before any holiday party or celebration begins.
- Take the keys. Do not let a friend drive if they are impaired.
- Be a helpful host. If you’re hosting a party this holiday season, remind your guests to plan ahead and designate their sober driver, always offer alcohol-free beverages, and make sure all of your guests leave with a sober driver.
Information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Drugged Driving
Ever see the label on medicine that says “don’t operate heavy machinery”? Your car, truck or motorcycle is heavy machinery. Taking certain prescription or over-the-counter medications can impair your ability to drive…much in the same way alcohol does. Be smart. Read the label. Designate a sober driver.
A Holiday Season Reminder for Businesses and Parents
Many retail businesses stay open much later during the holiday season. Siouxland CARES would like to remind parents and businesses about our Tri-State Curfew for minors under the age of 18. If you are a business that hires youth under 18, remind them that they must go straight home after working past curfew hours or risk being in violation of the curfew.
How Does Alcohol Affect You?
One drink equals
1.5 ounces (1 shot) of 80 proof spirits =
5 ounce glass of 12% wine =
12 ounce glass of 5% beer.
(These are approximate, as different brands and types of beverages vary in their actual alcohol content)
Source: National Institute of Health, www.NIAAA.nih.gov
According to several area bars and restaurants, the typical glass of wine served by them is six (6) ounces, which is more than the equation above so know your limit!
Drugged and Drunk Driving Prevention Month
by Carla Granstrom, REAP, Mercy Medical Center
Since 1981, every President has proclaimed December as Drugged and Drunk Driving Prevention Month. Because of all the celebrations and travel this is a perfect time to bring awareness about the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs.
Impaired driving is no accident. It is a serious crime that kills more than 10,000 people and injures over 300,000 people every year. Someone dies every 48 minutes and is injured every 2 minutes. It is estimated that 20% of the population will be involved in an alcohol-related crash during their lifetime. More Americans have died in alcohol-related traffic crashes than all wars involving U.S. military forces.
It is estimated that at any given time one out of 50 drivers is driving legally intoxicated and that increases to one in 10 on the weekend.
Last year there were 10,322 deaths from drunk driving crashes which is a 5% increase over the year before. This represents the first increase in six years. In Iowa, there were 64 deaths costing over $4 million in medical costs and $384 million in work loss costs. Three of those deaths were in Woodbury County. In Iowa, alcohol is second only to speed in causing fatal crashes.
A large number of these fatalities are teens who have their whole life in front of them. Nearly one million high school teens drank alcohol and got behind the wheel in 2011. Based on a Siouxland CARES survey of over 5,000 students, 32% of the high school seniors reported having ridden with someone who has been drinking and 27% had driven after using alcohol or other drugs.
We are making progress but still have a lot to do.
Please do not drive impaired and don’t let your friends drive impaired either!
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CONTACT US:
cares@longlines.com
Siouxland Fact
According to the Siouxland CARES Youth survey, 27% of the high school seniors had driven a car after using alcohol or other drugs.
Looking for some helpful websites?
www.drugfreeinfo.org
www.samhsa.gov
www.iowapoison.org
www.drugfreeiowa.org
www.iowa.gov/oncp
www.stopbullying.gov
www.educateiowa.gov
www.iowapridenetwork.org
www.iowasafeschools.org
www.oneiowa.org
www.reportbullyingiowa.com
www.sai-iowa.org/bullying
www.safeyouth.gov
www.standforthesilent.org
www.parentfurther.com
Other Resources
Contact the Boys Town National Hot Line,
1-800-448-3000 or
the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline,
1-800-273-8255
beSomebody
Find out more about the beSomebody campaign by connecting to the Siouxland CARES website at www.siouxlandcares.org or beSomebody.us or Like us on beSomebody Facebook page. Text “41411” and type in besomebody to received weekly text messages (rates may apply).
Tri-State Curfew
The following curfew is now in effect in Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff, and Woodbury County, Iowa, North Sioux City, South Dakota, South Sioux City, Nebraska, and Dakota County, Nebraska. Please enforce these times in your home.
10:00 p.m. for minors under the age of 14
11:00 p.m. for minors ages 14 and 15
Midnight for minors ages 16 and 17
About Siouxland CARES
Siouxland CARES (Community-wide Awareness, Resources, Education and Support) About Substance Abuse is a community coalition comprised of 350 volunteers. Volunteers for Siouxland CARES (representing 12 community systems) and staff contributed 16,296 hours in 2012 to CARES programs and services. The mission of CARES is to improve the quality of life in Siouxland by eliminating the abuse of alcohol and other drugs and related violence.
The Anti-Drug is Communication.
Ask Who? Ask What? Ask Where?
It’s not pestering, it’s parenting!
Trustworthiness: Think it. Be it.
Respect: Give it. Get it.
Responsibility: Take it. Teach It.
Fairness: Share it. Practice it.
Caring: Show it. Receive it.
Citizenship: Have it. Honor it.
Make Your Character Count in Siouxland!!
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