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r i ' ' "T • • . ' Reporter drinks, drives under controlled test By MICK ZAWISLAK Shaw Free Press News Service What's the difference between a reporter and oatmeal? Not much, after four stiff drinks. The reporter will talk a little more but at that point oatmeal makes bet* ter sense. And it is much safer behind the wheel of a moving automobile. Heed the voice of experience. I learned this during a demonstra­ tion Saturday morning of the affect of alcohol on drivers when myself and four others were rendered legal­ ly intoxicated and asked to demonstrate our motor skills. AWAKE IS ONE thing you cannot normally acuse me oTbeing on any Saturday morning but in the interest of public awareness I broke a longtime habit and was available at Sherman Hospital in Elgin for breakfast at 8 a.m. I didn't ask the others what,their excuses were, but it couldn't have been a free breakfast because we weren't allowed to eat the sausages. T^e oil content would coat the stomach, we were told, and it would take us longer to get drunk. Although %e were a pleasant bunch, nobody, including the police, wanted to stay any longer than was necessary. That's "why the mixed drinks were doubles. Guinea pigs included two reporters, an Elgin Community Col­ lege administrator, a bank officer and the pr&ident of a local organiza­ tion that deals with drug and alcohol problems regularly. Sherman held the demonstration in observance of Emergency Medicine Week. Hospital staff were assisted by Elgin police who set up the course, monitored drivers with a breathalyzer and tallied the scores as we merrily manuevered a Chevrolet Citation around, between and over rubber cones. DRUNKS AND their victims are frequent visitors to emergency rooms throughout the country and our cooperation would help point out that the odds of being directly or in­ directly affected by inebriated drivers was much higher than you think Having quaffed socially once or twice, I was curious to see at exactly what point I would be considered legally intoxicated and a hazard to myself and other drivers. But by 8:30 a.m. myself and the others wondered whether the release of liability forms we signed would legally apply. Signees were allegedly of sound mind and body. Driver 1 casually asked if she could obtain signed affadavits from others in the room that no report of ner comments or actions once under the influence would leave the room. She was refused, and we took to the parking lot after a breakfast of . rolls, coffee, juice and one egg. % > k ELGIN POLICE Officer Henry Smith looked his best as we ap­ proached. He was the passenger in the demonstration and would on several occasion use a special brake to slow down exuberant drivers. He did not look better for several hours. , % The course was divided into three parts: A straightaway ending in a 90-degree right turn. Drivers made the manuever then were required to accelerate and stop before scatter­ ing a row of cones at the end; a "diminishing alley" of cones nar­ rowing to just more than the width of the vehicle followed by a quick stop; and a slalom of pylons set about 30 feet apart. Drivers were required to stay within a five mph range of speeds that varied for each test. Par­ ticipants were tracked on radar. "Each mile per hour over or under the limits was a one point penalty. Five points were subtracted for each cone spilled. Drivers were given several chances to drive the course sober. On a base score of 100, results rang­ ed from 89.5 to 99 and averaged nearly 96. ' AT 9:90 AJI. the drinks began flowing. Three participants opted for screwdrivers and one for bloody marys all mixed with 100-proof vodka. The fifth driver had white wine. The body burns off just less than an ounce of alcohol (equivalent of one beer) per hour. For my body weight (140), it would take between 4 and 4% ounces of alcohol in an hour to put me at the legally intoxicated limit of 0.10 percent blood alcohol content (BAC). After two drinks, drivers were given a breathalyzer and let loose again. By and large the drivers were more careful, constantly aware they were being watched and consciously affected by the alcohol. Open road speeds increased but the drivers slowed during close manuevers.Scores ranged (rom 83 to 100 with an average of about 93. "You lose consciousness of bow much you drink," said Smith, who by now was considering wearing a helmet. "This person gets into a car and says, 'I can make it,' but it's not so." THE CONVERSATION was flow­ ing smoothly with the drinks but sur­ prisingly, three of the five drivers scored better the second time. I ted a perfect score of 100 at a AC of 0.08 percent. That level is considered impaired but not quite legally drunk. It was enough to provoke a common (and often fatal) mistake many drinking drivers make -- false confidence. It was obvious that everybody was driving differently. Police began asking the drivers how they felt. For my part, ! was friendly, talkative and excited. Note taking was getting difficult, and I knew one more would do it. * One of the drivers donned a police cap and asked how radar could track a &ee going 20 m.p.h. He was later chased down by a patrol car with sirens on and lights flashing. TWO HOURS AFTER we began, I had had four drinks (eight snots) and was mentally and physically im­ paired. I staggered slightly and bad some difficulty getting into the car for a third try. My BAC was recorded at 0.15. With gusto I attacked the course, again accelerating too rapidly and having considerable difficulty manueverlng through the slalom. I didn't hit any cones but was docked a total of 15 points for speed varia­ tions, at times slowing to five mph. Others experienced similar dif­ ficulty with scores ranging from 78 to 91. The average after the third try wa* about 84.5. "I feel like I take chances and do crazy things," said Driver 1, whose BAC was 0:11 after about eight glasses of wine in two hours. "I never drive like this. I realized I was too far gone to take a chance." She had slowed to three mph several times to compensate for im­ paired reactions. One driver main­ tained a 10 mph speed through the slalom, the intent of the test, but sheared several cones In the pro­ cess. AFTER EIGHT shots a second reporter declined comment on his feelings. •Talk to ?lelntt / urn all out of i . M M M I N i l > h Two that don't mix DRIVING MENACE--Reporter Mick Zawlslak finds driving after Although four drinks, even on a controlled course, wasn't an easy task, downhill. Ph iversatlon f y Jim Nash. './»«» j a-rj'pos GOtW smoothly, his driving skills went my lawyer. I think you people in the press are going to blow this all out of proportion." He was right. And we should. The difference on the open road too often means life or death. Abuse agency formed SPRINGFIELD (UPI) - The state of Illinois is undertaking the well-intentioned, but unenviable task of creating a new agency -- the Department of Substance Abuse. Last month, Gov. James R. Thompson signed a measure set­ ting up the new agency beginning July 1. The agency will take over the functions of the Dangerous Drugs Commission and the alcoholism services of the Depart­ ment of Mental Health. In signing the measure, the governor said the department would Improve the coordination of treatment for individuals who abuse both drugs and alcohol, Im­ prove public awareness and allow the Mental Health department to concentrate on mental illness and developmental disabilities. The new department, be said, will concentrate on "the continued problem our young people face In dealing with drugs and alcohol." NO FUNDING FOR the new department was provided in the legislation, but a committee of legislators, the Joint Committee on Consolidation of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Programs, was created. Its task is to study the plan and come up with legislation to imple­ ment it. The new department is well in- tentioned, but it was obvious at a recent committee hearing that ironing out the department's operations aren't going to be easy. It is a case of typical state bureaucracy. Committee members sat through hours of testimony, a great deal of which was devoted to just the name of the new depart­ ment. Many parents probably didn't put as much thought into naming their first-born as these folks obviously plan to do with this agency. H Puctnm Qolol Alcoholism after 60 may be big problem VyUOlvJI I I OCllw • by AL ROSSITER JR. 60 also may be masked by standards used to DR. BLOOM SAID many people beg ttpt SHpnnp F!riitnr determine how much alcohol a oerson can ino ia>» in in rocnAnc tA % 30% off Custom draperies and top treatments. Lining, labor, and installation included. Whatever your decor, oyr decorator consultant can help you design custom draperies to make the most of it. From start to finish, our team of trained professionals will see to it that your new draperies are perfect in every way. We even install them for you. 25% off custom bed ensembles; fabric and labor included. 40%off JCPenney Sunrise aluminum or wood mini blinds*. 50% off plush nylon pile cfefpeting. Sale 13.99 sq. yd. Reg. $28. Beautifully long wearrhg, and Scotchgard® treated. #7990 Many other carpet styles also 25% to 40% off**. installation at regular low price. '•Padding and installation extra. Sale prices effective thru Saturday, October 10th. Call for a free in-home appointment with a _ JCPenney Decorator Consultant No obJigation, of course. JCPenney Custom Decorating * 1963 J C Penney Company inc Illinois Lakehurst 473-1811 Spring Hill Mall 428-6970 Brickyard 622 2779 Lincoln Mall 481-2030 Woodfield 882-5558 Ford City 581-5621 No Riverside 447-8010 Yorktown 620-4562 FoxValleyCenter851-69lO Northwoods Mall Northwest Indiana: Golf Mill 299-1042 Peoria .... 685-6111 Marquette Mall 879-7361 Joliet Maj| 815/439-1442 Oriand Square 460-1552 SouthlakeMall 738-2357 ByAL ROSSITER JR. UPI Science Editor WASHINGTON (UPI) - It has been estimated that 3 million American men and women over the age of 60 are alcoholics, but a Texas researcher says the figure may be far too low. Dr. Patricia J. Bloom, assistant professor of family medicine at Texas Tech University Health Science Center at Amarillo, said drink­ ing problems among some older people may go undetected because they are retired, live alone and seldom leave their homes. In addition, Dr. Bloom said the person or his family may conceal the alcoholism because of embarrassment. "When the elderly people in this country were growing up, the stigma surrounding alcoholism was much greater than it is now," she said. "Thus, many of them have been con­ ditioned to feel intense guilt and shame about their alcoholism." DR. BLOOM SAID alcoholism in people over 60 also may be masked by standards used to determine how much alcohol a person can tolerate. She said they are geared toward ' younger people and do not take into considera­ tion the reduced amount of water 4n older peo­ ple's bodies and their decreased bodyslze. "What would be considered mild to moderate alcohol consumption in a young per­ son may constitute problem drinking in an elderly person," Dr. Bloom wrote In American Family Physician, a publication of th& American Academy of Family Physicians. Detecting excessive drinking in elderly peo­ ple is particularly important, she said, because the medical problems common among older people may be worsened by even minimal alcohol consumption. In addition, she said alcohol provides "emp­ ty" calories and "may decrease appetite in a member of an age group that, in general, is poorly nourished." And she said alcohol may / alter the effects of medicines taken by an elderly person. DR. BLOOM SAID many people begin drink­ ing late in life in response to stress associated with aging. For example, an elderly person who lost a spouse may drink to cope with loneliness. Other elderly people, she said, who live on a fixed income with no way to improve their financial situation may drink to ease their frustration. "Earlier in life, they may have dealt with stress more constructively, but because of the debilitating effects of aging, they are no longer able to handle the stress and thus begin to drink for relief," she said. Dr. Bloom said drinking can reduce anxiety through sedation that promotes a sense of well-being. She said it can restore a certain amount of predictability and control to the elderly person. But she said in the extreme, alcohol abuse "becomes a form of suicide in which the abuser gains ultimate control of his or her fate." mT Reflections MAGNAVOX 8 Hr. VMS • Portable •video! 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