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News - Drug Demand Reduction Class at Rio del Fierro C.S., 30 August 2010
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – On Aug. 26, 2010, the Rio del Fierro Composite Squadron had a Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) class presented by Texas Senior State Trooper Gary Rozzell from Mineral Wells, Texas. Trooper Rozzell spoke about his job and the dangers of drinking and driving. Since he is also a pilot, he elaborated on the dangers of drinking and driving or flying.
First he talked about drinking, driving and the dangers and deaths that mixing the two causes. Trooper Rozzell later used a demonstration with goggles for us to see a simulation of what a drunken person sees. Since alcohol is a depressant, the first thing that happens to the drinker is loss of judgment. He made this very clear when he told us the math used every time that a Texas State Trooper stops a driver and smells alcohol on the driver's breath.
Trooper Rozzell said that when he stops someone for driving erratically on the road, and smells alcohol, he says, “I smell alcohol. How many drinks have you had?” There are exceptions, though. Diabetic people have sugar metabolism problems and acetone complications; the result is that their breath can smell just like alcohol, but they need medical care instead. Then there are all the other people, and they'll have that smell if they have consumed alcohol, which is made from yeast and distilled water, hops, grains and other ingredients. Alcohol is a byproduct of fermentation.
The normal blood alcohol level is about .02%. A person who has consumed several drinks, let’s say 6 beers, would show .12% in a breath test. Since in Texas .08% is the lowest illegal amount of blood alcohol, someone testing this high or higher will be placed under arrest. “Do the math,” said Trooper Rozzell. Even sleep or consuming food – including caffeine – does not change these levels in an intoxicated person. “You might be a wide awake drunk,” the trooper said about someone who is drunk, and added that if someone has had several drinks, no caffeine or food will work for sobering up.
“The math is what I use every day,” said Trooper Rozzell. When we become intoxicated, the first thing that happens is that we lose our judgment and make bad decisions. We might think that we are able to drive home safely, but because of alcohol's depressant effect we don't really see the road line correctly, or react to someone’s screeching horn at us, or an emergency vehicle rushing past.
"Make wise choices when you are out on a date and know that the driver has been drinking. Just how many drinks did he or she have, and will you make it past that date if you choose to ignore that?" The trooper told of an incident when a teenager lay dead on the couch where he had laid himself down to sleep off his drunkenness. When he questioned the other teens present, they replied, “He always does that. We thought he was sleeping.” He had regurgitated in his drunken sleep and drowned in it.
Signs of alcohol toxicity are loss of judgment, tiredness, feeling nausea and throwing up (can’t hold your alcohol).
Senior members and cadets alike enjoyed Trooper Gary Rozzell's presentation and asked him to come back in the future, with some more Drug Demand Reduction training. During the practice session, several cadets tried walking the straight line in the hall, where a tape had been laid on the floor. Trooper Rozzell asked us to keep our balance and do “the heel-to-toe test.” He instructed each one of us before we attempted doing it. “I was just all over the place,” guest Silvia Villegas commented afterwards.
There are signs that Texas State Troopers look for, but there was no doubt about having poor judgment once you put on the goggles and tried to walk. You do see the line, but it is not where you think it is. It is not easy to hold your balance and continue moving as instructed, even though you think you can.
The best lesson learned is that the human body has limitations, and when alcohol is involved, a responsible party should neither drive a motor vehicle nor fly an aircraft. Please see Alcohol 101: What is a drink? for more on this subject.
The cadets in attendance were; Cadet Master Sgt. Nathan Jacobi, Cadet Sr. Airman Hunter Weaver, Cadet Sr. Airman Alyssa Matthews, Cadet Airman Shayla Hopkins and Cadet Airman Thomas McKinnon. We also had three guests in attendance: Daniel Boone, Christian Honkomp and Silvia Villegas.
Cadet Sr. Airman Alyssa Matthews, CAP