TABLE OF CONTENTS
Item Page

Summary 2

1. INTRODUCTION 3

1.1 Background 3 1.2 Authorisation 3 1.3 Aim of report 3 1.4 Scope 3

2. BAC

2.1 Definition of BAC 4 2.2 Factors affect BAC 4 2.3 Calculation of BAC levels 5 2.4 Legal levels in Australia and how to stay within these limits 6

3.0 EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL 6

3.1 Short-term effects 6 3.2 Effects on driving 6

4.0 DESCRIPTION OF ONE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN 7

5. EFFECTINESS OF THIS AWARENESS CAMPAGIN 7

6. IMPORTANTANCE AND BENEFITS OF EDUCAITON 7

6.1 Importance of education 7 6.2 Benefits of Education 7

7.0 STRATEGIES FOR EDUCATING STUDENTS 8

7.1 Lectures 8 7.2 Advertisings 8

8.0 CONCLUSIONS 8

9.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 9

List of references 10
Appendices

Summary

This report was commissioned by Dr. Heather Williams to investigate the risk of drinking and driving, especially as they apply to young people, and to develop recommendations about the most effective way to educate students about this risk.

The report focus on the risks of drinking and driving, especially as they apply to young people and to develop recommendations about the most effective way to educate students about this risk.

The report finds the definition of BAC, factors of BAC, calculations of BAC and how to stay under BAC limit. Also from the anti-drink education campaign, figure out the necessary of education.

Recommendations have been made that, if implemented, the young people of the university could aware of the alcohol and stay away of drink driving. This includes the lectures and advertising.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

It has been recognised for a number of years that driving after consuming alcohol in an unsafe practice. Research in the past 20 years in Australia and overseas has contributed to increased understanding of the effects of alcohol on the body. Links have been established between drivers’ alcohol levels and serious road accidents. The Director of Students Support at the University of Northern Region is concerned that, in spite of this research, students – particularly International Students who may not be aware of the regulations – are consuming alcohol and driving, with dangerous, even fatal, consequences.

1.2 Authorisation

Dr. Heather Williams, Director of Students Support, requested this report on 11 April 2007.

1.3 Aim of the Report

The purpose of this report is to provide an analysis the risks of drinking and driving, especially as they apply to young people and to develop recommendations about the most effective way to educate students about this risk.

1.4 Scope

Although drinking and driving is a social problem, the scope of this report is limited to understanding BAC and analysis this problem refer to young people.

2.0 BAC

2.1 Definition of BAC

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), is a measurement of the amount of alcohol in our body. Is the number of grams of alcohol present in 100 ml of blood. For example, a measurement of 0.05 BAC means that there are 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.(Do you know when to stop, page 2).

2.2 Factors affecting BAC

There are many factors affect blood alcohol concentration. The volume of alcohol be drank, the period of drinking, over what period after drinking, weight of body, sex, how long since you have eaten, mood and many other factors.(Do you know when to stop, page 3). The most crucial factor is the time. According to Figure 6.1, the BAC level decrease with time. Another important factor is the amount of pure alcohol be drank. As we can see in figure 6.1, there are four phase, this will be use to calculate BAC level later. (Applied communication problem solving book, P6.3)

2.3 Calculation of BAC levels

BAC is very important because it refer to drive safety. According to Figure 6.2, the risk of having an accident after drinking has an exponential growth with the BAC increase. Therefore, everyone should understand how to calculate BAC levels for safety. A formula can be use to calculate for people drink a standard glass of beer (300 ml) or a glass of spirit (30 ml) or a glass of wine (120ml).

BAC=(Number of Drinks) x (WF) – (Hours after drink – 1 ) x ( WF)

Where WF is weight figure, using the following figures according to your own weight: 50 – 64kg = 0.015; 64 – 83kg = 0.012; Over 83kg = 0.01

For example, An 70 drinker consumes six standard drinks in two hours.

BAC= (6) x (0.012) – (2 – 1) x (0.012) = 0.072 - 0.012 = 0.06

Therefore, the drinker is over the legal BAC limit to drive, where the BAC limit is 0.05. (Applied communication problem solving book, P7.5)

2.4 Legal levels in Australia and how to stay within these limits

The current legal levels in Australia is 0.05.(Do you know when to stop, P1) In order to calculate BAC levels and make it easy to understand and remember, there is a simplest way to help young people minimize the risk of exceeding the limit. By the ‘rule of thumb’ guide, most man can only safely manage two standard drinks in the first hour and only one drink every hour thereafter. For women can only safely manage one standard drink in the first hour and only one drink every hour thereafter. (Applied communication problem solving book, P6.3).By this guide, we can easily use the relationship between the volume of drink and the time to find how much time is needed to drive safety. Of course there are other precise formulas to calculate the BAC level, but more complex.

3.0 EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

3.1 Short-term effects

Alcohol will make several effects. The most common effects are: slurred speech, disturbed sleep, nausea, vomiting, headache and blush, even allergy to alcohol in some case.

3.2 Effects on driving

While driving, drinking can become deadly. Alcohol reduces the ability for people to do more things at a time, it means they can’t care the traffic and drive easily at the same time. It makes people hard to concentrate on driving, slow down reaction time, make you feel confident and ignore the risks, upset the vision and hearing even fall asleep when driving. (Do you know when to stop, page 3)

4.0 DESCRIPTION OF ONE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

The main purpose of this awareness campaign is to aware of the issue: drinking and driving. Since 1998, the Transport department of Queensland uses several ways to let people understand BAC and drive safety. By advertising, Random breath test and anti-drink publicity, the department creates awareness of consequences of drinking and driving to public. (Anti-drink public education campaign, P1-3)

5.0 EFFECTNESS OF THE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

By the campaign outcomes, from 1997 to 1999, the fatal 4 behaviors of speeding, drink driving, driving tired and unbuckled, contribution of road toll decreased 7% to 38 % of road toll. Also another research shows that 88% of people under age of 30 agreed that the ads are effective. Therefore, education does aware the public and changes the road safety. (Anti-drink public education campaign, P3)

6.0 IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF EDUCAITON

6.1 Importance of education

Education young people the risk of drinking and driving is very important, by education, young people could know knowledge that lives with them everyday. It is better to educate and let young people to understand the issue of alcohol rather than only prohibit young people from drinking.

6.2 Benefits of education Through education, young people can understand the effect of alcohol and how risky that drinking and driving, once they know how serious this problem is, they will make themselves refuse drinking and driving. They even can tell their friends from drinking and driving, not only for themselves, but also the safety to other drivers.

7.0 STRAEGIES FOR EDUCATING STUDENTS

7.1 Lectures By lecture, teach students to know the consequence of drink driving, explain the legal limit of BAC, how to calculate BAC, and give a simple explanation about how to say ‘NO’ of drink driving.

7.2 Advertising

In order to let young people understand the BAC easily, by the calculation in this report (2.4 Legal levels in Australia and how to stay within these limits), make small cards and print how to calculate and deliver to every students. In addition, put several advertisements at everywhere in university.

8.0 CONCLUSIONS After investigate the risk of drinking and driving that apply to young people, it can be concluded that:

8.1 Let students aware of the effect of alcohol and why it is dangerous to driving.

8.2 Understanding the BAC and the legal limit, and how to calculate BAC for student’s own drinking.

8.3 By lecture and advertising, make students remember this issue and use in their life.

9.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

It is recommended that:

9.1 At the first of each semester, students support department should invite the chief of transport department of Northern region; hold a lecture for new students of University of Northern Region in the UNR Lecture Theatre. .

9.2 By cooperate with the transport department, make small cards (As the graph shows) that easily to bring, students can put in the pocket and look at it while drinking, remind them how much time they need after drinking. Also the department of student support will design some posters on the notice boards in university.

List of reference:

Do you know when to stop, a driver’s guide to stay under 0.05 BAC, Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Australia.

Applied communication study book 2007, Distance and e-learning centre, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia.

Applied communication introductions book 2007, Distance and e-learning centre, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia.

2007, English for academic purposes introductory book, Distance and e-learning centre, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia.

2007, Anti-drink driving public education campaign, Queensland, Australia
-----------------------
Sample of guide cards