Alcohol and the Mind (1995)
Audience: Grades 9 - 12, Adult
30 Minutes

Alcohol is the most widely abused drug in the world. Popularly considered a "social lubricant" which may initially cause a feeling of relaxation, alcohol also hampers the user's judgment. This program provides insightful media support to Health and Life Skills units on alcohol and drug education, behavioral choices and personal health. Students' comprehension of alcohol's impact on the mind is reinforced as medical experts, Dr. Richard Sandor and Dr. Elizabeth Parker, explain that the effects of alcohol may range from temporary stress relief to recurring anxiety and memory loss. College students and others who have abused alcohol recount how alcohol consumption blurs the ability to think clearly and act rationally, and a law enforcement officer explains how alcohol impairs driving ability. Users may say things and engage in activities they later regret, including unprotected sexual intimacy -- particularly dangerous in this era of HIV/AIDS. For adults to decide whether or not to drink, they must weigh up the possible consequences: including embarrassment, the possibility of losing their job, friends and other relationships, arrest, accidents, and even death.