Alcohol ConsumptionFrance vs. America

Aurore(Jessica Field)

Why I chose this topic?

• If most of you do not already know, I have done a lot of volunteer work with MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) as well as SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions)

• I do not drink, I am allowed one glass of wine or champagne on Christmas eve and that is it until February of 2011.

Why do I do this?

• My parents brought my sister and I up with the knowledge of not drinking until we were of age. We do not smoke or do drugs either. Call us goodie two shoes if you want, but we know what is right and wrong.

• I have seen my dad, uncle and ex-boyfriend drink and act ridiculous, and I don’t want that.

I’ll respect your decisions, if you respect mine.

My Motto:

Different types of Alcohol….

LiqueursWineProof-(9-14%)

BeerProof-(3-6%)

Rum Proof-(75.5%)

WhiskeyProof-(100%)

BrandyProof – (40%)

Background • 5000 years ago people all over the world

began making alcoholic beverages, mostly beer and wine.

• Yeast (a microorganism) changes sugars in fruits, berries and honey into alcohol and carbon dioxide during a process called fermentation.

• 1 proof = 0.5% alcohol– “PROOF” = double the percentage of alcohol in a

beverage.– 80 Proof = 40%

France• French are the “healthiest” because they drink….MYTH!!• French drink 1 ½ times more per capita than the U.S. and

death rate from liver cirrhosis is more than 1 ½ times greater than in the U.S.

• France 6th highest adult alcohol consumption per capita (U.S. 32th)

• 16 (or 18) is the legal age to buy alcohol, they drink before getting there license. It is harder to get a car, so there are less accidents. Caught drunk bike driving- infractions on your license.

• Fines:– Between 0.5 & 0.8 g/l =135 Euros on spot– Over 0.8 g/l= confiscated license, 4.500 euros with possible 2 yrs in

jail– Add drugs =9,000 euros and up to 9 yrs in jail– Cause a crash= 30,000 euros, 2 yrs jail time– Serious injury= 150,000 euros, up to 10 yrs jail time in case of fatality

America• Moderate use (2-3 drinks) results in motor loss coordination for up

to 12-18 hours after drinking.• Consumption by college students results in 1,400 deaths and

500,000 unintentional injuries.• Alcohol goes directly into the blood stream and effects every

system in the body.• Alcoholics Anonymous was started by 2 alcoholics in 1935- 2 mill.

Worldwide, 1 mill. In U.S.• MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) founded in 1980 in Cali. By

mother who lost her 13 yr old daughter to a drunk driver. 3 million members, 400 chapters worldwide, helped enact 1,250 drunk driving laws.

• SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) started in 1981 by a Massachusetts high school coach and administrator , now has 7 million members and 25,000 chapters worldwide.

• Since 1980 alcohol related traffic fatalities decreased nearly 50%, MADD has helped save over 383,000 lives

StatisticsAmerica

• More than 10 million Americans are alcoholics

• 1st time drunk driving offenders on average drove drunk 87 times prior to being arrested

• Cost public in 2000 est. $114.3 billion

• On average someone is killed by a drunk driver every 45 mins.

• 3 in 10 Americans will be involved in a alcohol related crash sometime in there lives.

France• 43,000 French die per year =

200,000 Americans• Alcohol =causes ½ deaths from

road accidents, ½ homicides, ¼ of suicides

• Costs France 18.5 billion (U.S.) each year

• Accounted for 42,963 deaths on 1997

• #1 (or in top 3) health problem in France

• Loi Evin- strongest laws against advertising alcohol. Bans ads on tv and movies, restricts radio ads until after 10pm, forbids alcohol industry sponsorship at sporting events. In effect in 1993

SurveyQuestion 1

• What made you join MADD, SADD, Police Force etc..OR why have you made the decision to not drink until you are 21– Because I want to do the right

thing-David– Because I don’t want to die before

I’m 20-Saige– I joined MADD/SADD/Mentors

because it was cool to know that I wasn't alone in my decision not to drink or do drugs. With SADD, I helped start it and helped try to make it grow because it's important to let others know what's going on, that it is ok to not follow the "crowd," and that there are alternatives. Joining these groups definitely gave us some great alternatives.-Chelsea C.

– I joined MADD in 2004 a year after a personal tragedy involving a hit and run drunk driver who struck my daughter when walking home from school. -Cathy

Question 2• Have you been pressured by friends or

relatives to drink or make other bad decisions that you were not comfortable with– Usually meeting up with friends/

co workers at functions and there wanting me to “keep up with them” “C’mon just 1 more wont hurt”-Madame Field

– No because some friends ask me to skip class with them.- Samantha

– Oh of course! The group that I hang out with now drinks a lot, now they can legally (or are almost at that point) so they're always asking me if I want something. They also do drugs occasionally and REALLY want me to do it with them. It's like their life goal to get me to give in.-Chelsea C

Question 3• Have you had any personal experiences

with underage drinking/ drunk driving?– I don't drink, but I know people

who have, and they really do some dumb things. They look stupid, and I don't know how anyone can want that. On top of that, I hate to see people I'm friends with or care about do that to themselves.-Sarah

– when i was a teenager my father used to stand me in front of a mirror and say "if you like what you see, don't drink and drive" I realize how important it is to role model to our youth. I think we tell kids not to drink and drive, yet so often they see their parents doing it at restaurants, etc and then driving them home. we ask kids to make a choice not to get in cars with drunk drivers, then there are parents, who are making them get into the cars with them.... –Jodi W

Question 4• What do you think of other countries

when it comes to drinking alcohol?– It is not my decision to judge what other

countries/ people do about their drinking laws – Ma Soaur Chelsea

– They don’t abuse it like we do-David– I think that in many countries in Europe

drinking at younger ages in acceptable because its part of their cultures and traditions, however they do it very responsibly and do not abuse it. Unlike American teens who abuse alcohol at all cost.- Brianna

– I think, since other countries may have a lower drinking age, and it's not as "taboo," for a younger person to drink, that they are much more responsible with alcohol. Here, it seems like people (teens or young adults, mostly) drink solely to get drunk.-Sarah

Question 5• France does not have a legal drinking

age, there legal purchase age is 18, what are your thoughts on this?– If France thinks that, then it’s fine –

Gavin– I think that it is a terrible idea. The brain

still isn't fully formed until the early 20's. The younger they start, the more they drink, the more they permanently damage their brains and their livers. I don't agree with that. –Chelsea C

– I absolutely agree on the age of 18. I worry about our youth when they go off to college and learn to drink in dorm rooms or keg parties...and hide their drinking. I think if the age was 18 that kids would be allowed to drink at bars i think it would be better to have a bar tender monitoring the behavior...as opposed to a group of underage kids...yellin "drink drink drink" - Jodi

Question 6• Do you or have you thought your peers

looked cool (either underage age or legal age) while drinking?

– No I have not, I do not try to fit in with people. I am who I am and I don’t find It cool or awesome to see them drink.-Chelsea F.

– Absolutely not!! I think they look stupid and do not come off at cool. – Brianna

Question 7• What are your feeling or thoughts of

your friends and classmates drinking underage or driving drunk?– It makes me really upset. Like, I could

literally cry. I realize that some people might be responsible, but it seems like going to parties where drinking is present is only done in order to get drunk. It makes them look dumb, anyway.- Sarah

– With all of the information out there today I find it very unsettling that people still make the choice to drink and drive. There is a reason the legal age is 21 and a reason you don't get behind the wheel as your actions and judgement are impaired. There are way too many choices for other transportation, etc for people to make that reckless choice- Cathy

Question 8• Is there one person you look up to or admire?

What are your feelings if this person began drinking? Would your feelings change towards them?– I’m very proud of my girls for making

good decisions- Madame Field– I admire my mom. I would be very

worried if she ever started drinking. She has probably had 10 drinks in her whole life. She lives life to its fullest and doesn't need alcohol. She has no weaknesses. I would see alcohol as a weakness if she ever started drinking.-Jodi

– I look up to my brother, if he began drinking I would be very disappointed.-David

– I can't say I have one person. Being older and having "lost" a daughter to drinking I have a real connection to young people and in general when I met young and energetic, smart youth it pains and disappoints me when I see them throw away what could be their future.- Cathy

Works Cited• http://www.marketresearchworld.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=

view&id=304• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_alcohol_consumption• http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/foo_alc_con-food-alcohol-consumption

-current

• http://www.nationmaster.com/country/fr-france/foo-food• http://www.nationmaster.com/red/country/us-united-states/foo-food&all=1• http://www.news-medical.net/news/2005/11/28/14713.aspx• http://www.english.controleradar.org/drinking-driving.php• http://www.marininstitute.org/alcohol_policy/french_drinking.htm• http://www.madd.org/Drunk-Driving/Drunk-Driving/Statistics/

AllStats.aspx#STAT_8• http://www.brad21.org/facts.html• Nakaya, Andrea C.. Opposing Viewpoints Alcohol.• Monroe, Judy. Alcohol• Friends, Family, Jr. SADD students, Ms. Cathy Andreozzi