Though this limit was previously as high as.10% in some states, even the lowered limit is not adequate to prevent alcohol related vehicle accidents. In fact, law enforcement officials classify an accident as alcohol related if a driver's blood alcohol content was.01%, or two drinks, or higher. Though some groups praise the.08% law as one of the biggest steps in drunk driving prevention, other groups believe a no tolerance policy should be adopted for operating under the influence of alcohol, similar to the policy that is already in effect for minors.
The physiological effects of alcohol do not begin at.08%. In fact, they begin at much lower blood alcohol content levels. According to Brown University, moodiness increases at.02-.03%; fatigue, delayed reaction time, and errors in judgment can be observed at.05-.06%; at.07-.09%, these problems only get more visible and more severe. Coordination, speech, vision, hearing, and operational skills are affected. Under the current laws, a person could be experiencing all these effects of alcoholism at.07%, and still remain within the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle. Based on the physiological factors just discussed, this is not sufficient to prevent motor vehicle accidents due to alcohol. Even the signs of fatigue, which take over after two to four drinks depending on personal tolerance can impair reaction time enough to cause a deadly accident. In my opinion, laws are far too lenient given the physiological affects of alcohol at various blood alcohol levels.
Pediatrics. 91.5(1993): 1004-1006.
Fetal Alcohol Information." Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. 2006. Centers for Disease Control. 6 May 2008. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/fasask.htm.
Proposition 65." Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. n.d. California
State Government. 6 May 2008. http://www.oehha.org/prop65.html.
Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy." Professionals and Researchers. n.d. March of Dimes. 6 May, 2008. http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1170.asp
Alcohol Ban Advised for Pregnancy." BBC News. 2008. 6 May 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7312708.stm.
The Genetics of Alcoholism." Alcohol Alert. 1992. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 7 May 2008. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa18.htm.
Fingarette, Herbert. Heavy Drinking: They Myth of Alcoholism as a Disease. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1998.
Davidson, Robert S., Laura a. Demarco, Kamiar Kouzekanai, Sara J. Kusel, and Robert
C. McMahon. "Cognative motivations for drinking among alcoholics: factor structure and correlates." American Journal of Druv and Alcohol Abuse. (1992).
Alcohol and Your Body." Health Education. (2008). Brown University. 7 May 2008. http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/atod/alc_aayb.htm.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is one of the most common and devastating birth abnormalities among American children. This paper will provide an in-depth look at FAS, using four reliable sources as a basis of this analysis. The sources used are Streissguth, Jacobson & Jacobson, the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), and National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS). The information obtained from these sources will be
According to recent studies conducted by Ernest Abel and Robert Sokol, the incidence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is estimated to be 0.33 cases per 1,000 live births. The States of Missouri less than 25 cases of Fetal alcohol Syndrome out of 80,000 recorded live births. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is considered as a serious health problem that has unfortunately affected victims and their families, however according to reports the inherited disorder
If pregnant women will not stop drinking, a broad-spectrum nutritional support may be an appropriate alternative. Christensen, Damaris (2000). Sobering Work - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Science News: Science Service, Inc. Retrieved on October 27, 2008 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_mOISW/us_2001_Nov/ai_79757209?tag=content;col1 The author says that no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy has been established in lieu of avoidance. Many pregnant women who drink heavily want to know how much they drink without harming their
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Special Education About the Child Pietro is a 7-year-old boy. His biological parents are Argentine and Colombian. He was born approximately six weeks prematurely because of his mother's consumption of alcohol throughout the duration of her pregnancy. According to medical reports, his mother did not consume heavy quantities of alcohol, but she did consume nominal amounts on a regular basis, such as one to three times a week, nearly
Again, growth deficiencies occur for many different reasons, and other causes must be ruled out. Central nervous system disorders in FAS can be significant and varied, and mimic other disorders. Diagnosis of FAS can be made on the basis of structural, neurological, or functional CNS disorders. Diagnosis of CNS deficits must also rule out other disorders that can co-exist with FAS, such as autism or oppositional defiant disorder (National
Four of those children had short palpebral fissures, a smooth philtrum (see previous article by Blackburn), and "microcephaly" (a situation where a child's head is far smaller than the heads of children the same age), all manifestations of a child whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. Dr. Smith and other doctors that got involved began checking the various maladies these children suffered from with other children whose disabilities hadn't
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now