Alcohol Awareness Speaker

Why We're Here

2011-09-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

Most everyone knows by now that Marvelyne and I are living in New York. Most everyone knows it’s because I’m going to grad school. Some may even be able to state that my area of study is an M.S. in Narrative Medicine. But, over the last year or more, I don’t believe there have been more than a handful of folks who actually know what narrative medicine is. And frankly, a year ago, I was no different. So, here’s the skinny.

Narrative Medicine is a field which has only been around a few years. In fact, the term “narrative medicine” was coined less than a decade ago. To the best of my knowledge, Columbia University in NYC is the sole institution where one can study narrative medicine. Hence, our relocation to NYC for the 2011-12 school year. That’s the logistics, but again, what is it?

Narrative Medicine is a combination of health care, literature, communications, philosophy and a tad bit o’ social work. Interesting, right? But, what does NM do? Well, the goal with narrative med is to take these very complex stories of illness, healing, hospitalization, disease, disability and dying and turn them into something from which others can learn. Let’s take, for example, a story of a patient dying from cancer.

NM can be used by said patient to journal his/her thoughts and feelings as they’re going through the dying process, hopefully on their way to acceptance and peace. It can also be used by the caregivers who are treating the patient. After all, it’s a pretty callous health care pro that spends great amounts of time with a patient and does not get attached in some way.

Now, the tales of the process can be used by other cancer patients, cancer caregivers to understand the patient’s role, learn from the mistakes of other caregivers, etc. Again, NM tries to take these very personal, emotional and complicated stories and put them in narrative form for the comfort of those who are sick, with the added benefit of being an educational tool for the caregiver. Plus, there are many, many other applications I’m not even familiar with yet. But just wait - those times are coming!

Anyone who knows the speaking I do for health care can see the relationship between my work and narrative medicine. But the question still begs to be answered: “Okay Engel, this is interesting and fits you too a T. But, how’s it going to help the work you do?”

Well, for years, my main thrust has been keynote lectures. I’m hopeful for several different things to come out of this narrative med program.

First, books. With as much reading and writing as the program requires, I’m pretty sure there’ll be a few more Marcus titles in the not-so-distant future.

Polishing of my keynote: Through some of the oral communications of narrative med, I hope I can speak with an even more powerful and impacting style.

Third: More offerings to my clients. Now, instead of going too a hospital for a single 1 or 2 hour keynote, I can also teach the skills of narrative to all interested parties. I foresee myself giving my usual lecture on patient care in the a.m., then in the afternoon, meeting with a smaller group of front line caregivers and instructing them in some workshop form exercises about journaling and getting them to see the benefits of NM in their own field.

On Tuesday evening, the Narrative Med program held our orientation. There are approximately 25 students in the program, a little more than half were able to attend (thank you, Hurricane Irene, for at least helping most of us get there.) In my class there are physicians, playwrights, social workers, hospital chaplain, graphic artists, a nurse or two and several folks who’ve recently graduated, thinking they were going to med school, but needing to indulge their love of literature before entering the sterile world of health care.

After introducing ourselves around the room, we got into small groups with a few faculty members. From there, we discussed a poem with a health care slant, then used a prompt for a short writing process. Each person shared something from the prompt, “How did you get here?” We were allowed too interpret that however we saw fit. Most of us took on the task of answering the question about how we came to the field of narrative medicine, myself included. All of us, in some way or another, shared something rather personal… and this seems par for the course in NM. I look forward to these deep, meaningful types of writing instead of the fluff from undergrad English days.

What happens next? Well, next week starts the actual classes. As I get deeper into the program, I’ll share more. In the meantime, please enjoy more of Marvelyne’s musings about our NYC life at:

www.MisadventuresInNYC.com

You're Not A Screw Up...IF You've Learned

2011-02-27T11:34:00.000-08:00

If you receive Engel's Ensights, the Marcus Engel Newsletter, you may still have this month's article, "Screwing Up" sitting in your in box. If you'd like to read it, it can also be found on EzineArticles.com.

Here's the premis, just because I think it's worth repeating...

A few weeks back, I spoke for Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. My audiences were primarily composed of SU's student athletes. The focus of my programs were to inspire SU's student athletes to make intelligent choices, especially concerning substance abuse and impaired driving. As with so many of my programs, this one was funded through the NCAA's Health and Safety Speakers grant to help encourage student athletes to make wise decisions.

Dr. Wayne Edwards, the athletic director at Shenandoah, and I struck up a friendship while I was local. Here's why...

After hearing me speak, Dr. Edwards introduced me to a young man who is a student athlete at SU. With tears in his eyes and a cracking voice, the young man admitted that he'd recently been charged with driving under the influence. After hearing my program, he understood more fully that his choice to drive under the influence could have hurt or killed someone else...or he himself.

Dr. Edwards put his arm around the guy and said, "I see really great things on the horizon for this young man. He's going to make me really proud!"

In essence, Dr. Edwards' faith in this young man showed that he (the young man) had screwed up...but he was not a screw up. He made a mistake...but a mistake from which he learned a very valueable lesson. I can only hope my keynote to the SU community played a part in the transformation of his thinking.

We all screw up. But if we're learning from our screw ups (and provided they don't have serious consequences), that enlightenment is about the best we can hope for.

It's More Than Just A Game

2011-01-24T11:49:00.001-08:00

East-West Shrine Game is about much more than football
UCF's Bruce Miller: "There's a bigger meaning."
January 20, 2011|By Mike Bianchi, SPORTS COMMENTARY
•
Stephen M. Dowell, Orlando Sentinel
Never even thought about it as anything except a college football all-star game that has been played every year seemingly since the beginning of time.
In the mind's eye, the East-West Shrine Game was always that star-studded, post-holiday classic played in some exotic, faraway locale sponsored by a bunch of men wearing funny hats.
But with the game being played at the Citrus Bowl on Saturday, we should all recognize that those Shriners are more about good deeds than funny fezzes. And the East-West Shrine Game is much more than a chance for college football stars to improve their NFL draft status; it's a chance for them to improve the life status of a bunch of sick kids.
"Strong legs run so that weak legs can walk," says George Mitchell, the Imperial Potentate (head honcho) of Shriners International. "Everything we do is geared toward helping the Shriners Hospital for Children."
If ever there were a sporting event for our city to get behind, this is the one. Is there really a better cause than a network of 22 hospitals that offer quality care for kids who are burn victims or have suffered spinal cord injuries or are born with birth defects? These are hospitals that serve thousands of kids worldwide whether their families are able to pay or not.
Kids like 13-year-old Danny Happy, who four years ago had his life altered forever. On July 10, 2007, a private plane shockingly fell from the sky and landed in Danny's home in Sanford. His 4-year-old sister Gabriela died and Danny was burned over 95 percent of his body. Nobody expected him to survive.
He was airlifted to the burn unit at the Shriners Hospital in Cincinnati, where he was put into a medically induced coma so that he wouldn't die from the excruciating pain he was in. Nearly 50 surgeries later, he is a living, breathing testament to the medical miracles that are done by the Shriners.
There will be players in Saturday's game from UCF (defensive end Bruce Miller and offensive tackle Jah Reid), Florida (defensive end Justin Trattou) and Miami (cornerback Demarcus Van Dyke and running back Graig Cooper). If you're a Knight, a Gator or a Hurricane, why not come out to the Citrus Bowl Saturday and support your team? If you're a college football fan, why not come out and watch some of the best players in the nation? Or if you just want to watch a good game and support a good cause, kickoff is 4 p.m.
Too often in these pages, we portray college football as a corrupt sport filled with liars, cheaters and BCS commissioners who have cornered the market on greed. We get inundated with the clanging and clamoring of message board malcontents, bad-tempered bloggers and FireTheCoach.com websites. So seldom do we get to hear the true song of the sport anymore.
Like the sound of Larry Csonka, the Miami Dolphins Hall of Famer who played in the East-West Shrine Game decades ago. He was on TV the other day talking about the game and said something that might surprise you. He said he didn't remember much about the Shrine Game he played in all those years ago. He didn't remember the score or even who won. But what he did remember was the trip he and other players took to the Shriners Hospital.
It's the same story every player who plays in this game will tell you. Every year during Shrine Game week, the players are asked to visit one of the nearby Shriners Hospitals. On Sunday, the players in this year's game were bused over to Tampa to visit the kids.
"There's a bigger meaning to this game," says UCF"s Bruce Miller. "It means a lot more when you're playing for something like this. We're not just out there for ourselves to raise our NFL stock; we're out there raising money for kids who are fighting and battling and struggling with some serious medical issues.
"Visiting these kids in the hospital is one of the most worthwhile things I've ever done. It's great to put a smile on these kids' faces. And you know what? They'll put a smile on your face, too."
If you think Shriners are merely a bunch a crazy guys who wear funny hats and ride miniature motorcycles in parades, think again.
Turns out the men underneath those funny fezzes do some serious good.
Those undersized motorcycles pale in comparison to their oversized hearts.

About the Shrine Game
What: East-West Shrine Game
When: Saturday
Where: Citrus Bowl
Kickoff: 4 p.m.
Tickets: $5-$50, available on ticketmaster.com

FaceBook Fan Page

2011-01-20T15:38:00.001-08:00

I really, REALLY hate to have a fan page on Facebook. To me, it feels kinda schmaltzy; like, I’m limited to the number of friends, but fans? Hey, they’re just numbers. Well, I don’t think of any of my connections as just a number. Rather, I think of pretty much everyone I’ve ever met as a friend.
Yet, Facebook makes the rules. And the rules say no more than 5000 friends on a single page, unless it’s a fan page. So, I created one.
If you’re so inclined, please go to my fan page at:

www.FaceBook.com/MarcusEngelSpeaker

I’d love to be able to transfer all my connections over to this fan page and communicate just as actively with it. Until then, thanks to ALL my friends, fans and connections!

Half A Century For An Angel's Death

2010-12-23T08:08:00.000-08:00

In April 2009, California Angel's pitcher, Nick Adenhart, was killed along with two others after being struck by a drunk driver. The 23 year old offender was on probation from a previous DWI at the time of the crash. At least one of the two others in Adenhart's car were students at CSU-Fullerton, where I'd presented less than six months earlier. At least one of the deceased was in my audience, hence why I'm tied closely to this case.

The offender's sentence was just handed down in the DWI manslaughter deaths associated with the crash: 51 years.

Part of me wants to jump for joy for such an extensive sentence. Another part (the realist in me) knows that he'll probably only end up serving 20 years, maybe less. Still the sentence pretty much maxxed out what the law allows. THAT is something survivors of DWI crashes are excited about.

Prohibited No More

2010-12-05T08:21:00.001-08:00

Just a fun factoid for ya, but today is the 77th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. Amuse your friends with this random knowledge!

Happy Halloween Hour

2010-10-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

Next weekend is Halloween! Since it falls on a Sunday this year, it stands to reason that the Halloween parties will actually occur on Oct. 30. But c'mon! Halloween is so fun that there have been parties already happening for a week or more!

Just as a heads up, Halloween now holds the title as the busiest bar night of the year. That's right-there are more folks in bars on Halloween than St. Patty's Day.
Please just keep this in mind next weekend, K? There's more than trick or treaters to watch out for on Halloween. Happy Halloween!

When You're Tipping Back A Few Words...

2010-09-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with my family-in-laws. In the car were two ministers, two gospel singers, one president/CEO of a Christian Bible college, one manager/producer of gospel music and, of course, my redneck self sitting in the midst. Love these folks dearly, don't misunderstand me, I'm just the black sheep, so to speak.

While we're driving around town, the driver is incessantly texting. This guy would probably never take a drink outside of moderation and/or safety, but when it comes to texting, hey, whatever.

Yet, study after study keeps showing how texting can be just as dangerous, if not moreso, than driving drunk. Just ponder that for a minute...would you ever drive drunk? Chances are, your answer is no, never. But texting, something just as dangerous? Well, we give that a little more grace. Should we? Frankly, I don't think so...the repurcussions of texting are identical as driving drunk. People still get hurt, people still die. I hope you'll ponder this perspective next time your text alarm goes off while you're behind the wheel.

DeSales University and Marcus: Half Decade Anniversary

2010-09-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

Again for 2010, I was honored to be a keynote presentor for DeSales University in Pennsylvania. Wonderful group of freshmen participating in the Character U. program, plus incredible clients with lots of laughs! What could be better?

Special thanks to Wendy Krisak, Dr. Gregg Amore and Chad Surface for being such good friends and great clients! Can’t wait to come back to DeSales for the sixth straight year!

Does A Higher Alcohol Content Appeal To You?

2010-08-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago, we got to have dinner with a couple old friends from St. Louis who were in town on vacation. We went to a microbrewery for food and fun and had a really great time. It also gave me a little pause to raise an awareness eyebrow.

Once we were seated, our waiter started to list off the different beers they brew. The first three (the stout, the red and the porter), he listed as their most popular due to their alcohol content at 8%. This, I found interesting.

He didn't comment on their flavor, on the hoppiness, the finish-just their alcohol content. And said their most popular were the highest alcohol content.

Unless someone is specifically looking to get rip roaring intoxicated, is there a point in discussing how high the alcohol content is? Beer nerds love this, heck, my geekiness makes me want to know everything, but to discuss a beer's popularity based on it's high alcohol content just seems like something a customer doesn't necessarily need to know.

Hotel Parties Just Got A Little Harder!

2010-08-03T14:00:00.001-07:00

Back when I was a minor, there were quite a few hotel parties. Sometimes, a person would book a hotel room for the night with the sole purpose of getting drunk and staying the night. Good to keep any drunk drivers off the road, but in retrospect, since people would stop by for a few drinks, it may have put more drunk drivers ON the road. Plus, hotels, especially nicer hotels, have had the bar right in the room. With the ability to order specialized beverages and sacks to the room, well, you can tell the ease with which minors can get their hands on alcohol.

Now, in my professional career, I spend nearly 100 nights per year in hotel rooms. I'm a member of every rewards program under the sun and, subsequentally, I get every E mail special that comes along. This week, I was glad to see Hilton hotels put a disclaimer in their E mail update that all Hilton properties comply with the drinking laws of that state or jurisdiction. For an international company, this is a big policy. Just wanted to give a shout to Hilton properties for helping to keep underaged drinkers from having easy access to alcohol in their hotels.

MADD Ohio and Some Staggering Stats

2010-07-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, the MADD Ohio monthly newsletter ran a story on yours truly. Now, I get MADD Ohio's newsletter in my inbox once per month. Even though I work in the prevention field, even though I'm a victim survivor, even though I write this blog, there is still so, so much to learn. And today, thanks to MADD Ohio's newsletter, I learned something new...

For many moons, I've contended that the future of DWI prevention lies in technology. When technology can detect intoxicants in one's system through sweat, breath, the eyes or any number of other ways, technology then has the power to keep individuals safe; includng the driver ready to make an unsafe choice to drive.

This technology would prevent the very thing I read in MADD Ohio's newsletter this morning. One stat the newsletter gave was that an estimated 50%-75% of drivers with a suspended license due to DWI are (wait for it....) still driving. And they can. Not legally, but legality has no bearing on whether or not one can turn the key in the ignition. Again, technology is our next (and safest) step to preventing unnecessary loss of life and limb due to this senseless crime.

AHEAD 2010

2010-07-21T15:53:00.001-07:00

Last week found the AHEAD conference in the Mile High City…and with yours truly exhibiting as always! The Assoc. on Higher Education and Disability is composed of disability support services professionals at colleges and universities across the country, plus a variety of other professionals who work in the field with disabilities. And, as always, it was such a great time seeing awesome people!

Special thanks to Jenny Dugger, Rae, Melanie Thompson, Emily, Erin, Lana, Tamara and a whole slew of others who I did NOT get to go to dinner with!

Thanks to all who stopped by our booth and got books, grabbed info and expressed interest in bringing the Marcus message to campus this fall!

Do The Brits Have It Right?

2010-07-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

While we were celebrating our founders giving the finger to King George, another George was apparently celebrating in an all-too-American way.

George Michael, according to reports, crashed his car into the side of a building this weekend. Police stated he was unfit to drive. Was he drunk? Dunno, just know the cops used the word, "unfit."

In 2007, Michael was arrested and had his license suspended for two years after he was caught driving under the influence of drugs. Was his license actually taken away for two years? Again, dunno. And, even if it was, suspending one's license doesn't mean that they lose the ability to stick a key in the ignition and put the car in drive.

Still, the Brits don't have the rep for being as lax as we are on convicted criminals. Here in the states, have you ever heard of a intoxicated driver losing their license for two years? Certainly not on a first offense.

I'm Here Is Finally Here!

2010-07-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's officially out! My third book, "I'm Here: Compassionate Communication In Patient Care" is now available through the store on MarcusEngel.com

http://www.MarcusEngelProducts.com

While this is focused on helping nurses, docs, therapists, etc. have more positive interactions with patients, I think there's plenty of good info for the non-medical folks of the world, too. Check it out at:

http://www.MarcusEngelProducts.com

Highlighting Positive Side Of People

2010-06-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

We all know we SHOULD highlight the positive, diminish the negative, and we get more positive, right? Sure!

Yet, there are many times when I find myself blogging about a celebrity who caused a ruckus in a bar, or a DWI received by someone who's a household name, that sorta thing.

Well, this time? I get to blog about something positive.

AAA, the American Automobile Association, is offering free towing service for intoxicated drivers this July 4. On a holiday that's so associated with knocking back a few cold ones, it's so awesome to see AAA stepping up to be sure folks get home safe. Learn more at:

www.AAA.org

Thanks, AAA, for helping keep folks alive this summer season!

Siriusly Good Commercial

2010-06-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Any time I'm in my office working, my Sirius Radio is on in the background. Part of that is my obsession with news, part is my obsession with music, part of that is my obsession with finding relevant info to blog about.

Today, I heard a good PSA on underage drinking prevention. It dealt with only one thing: communicating with kids. Was it all that fantastic of a commercial? No, and it really doesn't have to be. It simply encouraged parents to keep open lines of communication with their kids, especially about drinking. Reminds me to do the same. Since I agree with the message, I'd like to share the link to the sponsoring org:

www.stopalcoholabuse.gov

I'm Here

2010-06-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

While I love working in the prevention arena and I love helping inspire intelligent choices, one of the other areas I'm passionate about is patient care. I figure when you've been through as much medical drama and trauma as I've endured, you've learned what makes up great patient care...and what just counts as medical treatment.

One week from today, Thursday, July 1, 2010, I'll be releasing my newest book, "I'm Here: Compassionate Communication In Patient Care."

While this is not specific to the prevention of drug, alcohol and DUI, the stories contained in "I'm Here" are a direct result of a drunk driver's actions. If you're in the field of health care, or you've just enjoyed "After This..." and "The Other End Of The Stethoscope", I hope you'll watch Facebook and Twitter for the release time. Also, we'll be having some giveaways and contests to hype the release...pay attention, you might just win!

Tipper Vs. Kid Vs. Marcus

2010-06-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

When I was first getting into music, there seemed to be two camps: Tipper Gore/PMRC and real music lovers.

Tipper and the Parents Music Resource Group had the goal of censoring music, banning certain artists from being listened to by children and a whole slew of other agendas dealing with music. I, being a youngster (probably around 7th or 8th grade) hated Tipper Gore with every fiber of my Public Enemy loving heart. Why? B/c she was a person who wanted to take my music away from me. I loved my 2 Live Crew, NWA and Eazy E and all the shock of some of the hair bands who used shock to get the interest of kids. Granted, now that I remember some 2 Live Crew and Eazy E lyrics, I'm not so sure I'd want middle schoolers listening to it, either...but, these days, we have the internet to gang up on, not the artists.

If Kid Rock were around when I was in middle school, he'd have been one of my favs. Heck, as a 35 year old guy now, he's one of my favs (call it bringing out my redneck roots...a country boy funked up by growing up on gangsta rap)

I don't think there's anyone, even Kid Rock himself, who'd say his lyrics are family friendly. Heck, if Tipper Gore still wanted to ban music, it wouldn't be hard to figure out where she'd go first. Kid Rock's songs are full of references to drugs, alcohol, sex-name a "sin" and Kid probably has it covered lyrically. And did I mention I love his music? Hey, what can I say?

It's well known by anyone who listens to Kid's music for more than a few minutes that he promotes his persona as a big time party guy. You don't come up with lyrics like this without being a partier: "I'm in it to win it like Yzerman, I can drink about 15 Heineken...puffing the Winston, drinking the 40"

So, musically, I love to crank up Kid while I'm working out. I, however, don't really want my young neices and nephews listening to him.

Last week, Kid Rock hosted the CMT awards. When he performed, he glossed over some of his more offensive lyrics. This is national television and Kid is far too smart of a professional performer to want to get in bad with the FCC. So, where's my issue?

The folks at CMT included a skit or two in the awards show. One, in particular, made me a little disgusted. It showed Kid, several country musicians and even Paula Dean all in a back room drinking and partying. The "reporter" in the skit stumbles upon this room of partiers and gently confronts Kid saying stuff like, "Kid Rock! I thought you were going to wait until after the awards show to start partying." To which he replies, "Yeah, I don't know...I'm drunk."The reporter then goes to talk to Paula Dean and the country artists (also drinking it up) and asks them, "Oh my! Paula Dean...I didn't expect YOU, of all people, to be in here, too!"

Honestly, the acting in this skit was embarrassing. And what does Paula Dean have to do with music, anyway? Yet, here's my thing...

This is Kid Rock's persona. We all know it. Still,someone at CMT had to think this skit was a good idea, write it, secure "actors" for it, a location AND choose to include it in a family friendly awards show. That adds up to a whole lot of people making a whole lot of choices without thinking through how this is going to be perceived.

Kid Rock is just being Kid Rock. I think the "I'm Drunk" comment could have been ad libbed. If so, that was unnecessary on this awards show. Still, he's just doing what he does. The real morons are those at CMT that allowed this skit to go on, glamorizing drinking and drunkenness to families across the country. For country music having such conservative roots and morals, someone at CMT dropped the ball on this one.
Kinda makes me long for the days of Tipper Gore when she'd have called the CMT execs on the carpet for this showing

Elon University

2010-03-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, March 9, I was honored to be the keynote speaker at Elon University. This program was sponsored by Elon's Safe Rides program, a system of transporting Elon students safely around the area. Whether the student is intoxicated, fearful for their safety or it's just too cold out, Safe Rides is there to help keep Elon students safe.

A huge thanks goes to Elon's own Nicole Parker, Pope, Kimberly, the SPARKS(s), and everyone who made my time in NC so memorable! Gotta say, hitting some North Carolina BBQ didn't hurt my feelings, either!

Also want to thank the brothers of the Lambda Lambda chapter of Kappa Sigma for helping provide transportation on Tuesday. Was great to get to know the brothers of the Lambda Lambda chapter. The chapter also showed up in full force to support my program – and that's showing a brother some love!

The Drop

2010-03-08T16:43:00.000-08:00

If you've read "After This..." or "The Other End Of The Stethoscope", you may also been one of the tens of thousands who've said, "This story should be a movie!"

Well, you get your wish!

We've just released a short film entitled, "The Drop." This short film follows yours truly from his freshman year of college, through the crash that blinded and disfigured me, and into the rehabilitation process that had to be necessary before returning to college. The official site for the movie is:

www.TheDropMovie.com

As with almost any film project, there was film left all over the floor of the editing room. I hate that. We had so, SO much more that just wouldn't fit into the seven minute time limitation.

Specifically, "The Drop" doesn't mention that this crash was caused by an intoxicated driver. Was it in the screenplay? Absolutely. Did we film the scene where the Marcus character is told he's blind due to an unsafe choice by a third party? Yep...but did it get in the movie? Unfortunately, no.

Yet, if you want to see an inspiring tale of overcoming tremendous obstacles, I hope you'll watch the film at:

www.TheDropMovie.com

And, if you'd like to help us out, I'll tell ya how...

See, the seven minute time frame is due to the fact we wanted to enter "The Drop" into a certain short film contest. That contest is sponsored by:

www.TheDoorpost.com

If you go to www.TheDoorpost.com and search for "The Drop", it'll show you the method for voting and viewing. The more views, the more votes. The more votes, the closer we are to having a full length feature with a strong anti-DWI component.

Personally, I'd like to see this sort of story become so commonplace that it's referred to in the anti-DWI world. And if you'd like to help, we'd be really, really appreciative!

Pure Energy...Or Pure Stupidity?

2010-02-14T10:01:00.000-08:00

While sucking down my morning java, I was flipping around the Sunday morning news shows. I came across a very well known physician who is often seen on these sorts of talk shows.

One of his commentaries was about the consumption of energy drinks while consuming alcohol. Paraphrasing here, but the spirit of the doc's position was this:

"If you're going out to have drinks, don't consume energy drinks. They mask the effects of the alcohol."

Um, isn't that precisely why people DO drink energy drinks?

Whether it's mixing energy drinks with booze to create a cocktail that won't knock you out, or slugging down an energy drink at the beginning of the night, this is precisely why people do consume these things! And why? Because going out on the town, dancing, drinking, socializing, flirting...they're all fun. And when alcohol may make a drinker sleepy or groggy, why wouldn't he/she want to suck down some energy so as to continue the night?

Back in the day, people used to think that, if they were drunk and had to drive home, a cup or two of coffee would help sober them up. We now know that this is simply not true. It may keep the person more alert and less likely to nod off, but it does not diminish the level of intoxication. Only time can do that.

Whether it's energy drinks or a cup of coffee or whatever, these news studies don't really tell us anything we didn't already know. And as always, it's personal responsibility and having a plan that'll truly keep you safe when you're out on the town. Be careful, folks!

The Problem With Letting Crazies Talk...

2010-02-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

I have this personal philosophy. The crazier someone's ideas (neo-Nazis, isolationists, eco-crazies, etc.), the more I WANT to give them a platform to speak. The more looney someone's ideas, the more likely they are to spout off enough that people will see how "off" this person's viewpoints are.

Now, there are some obvious issues with this philosophy. Namely, we're assuming that those in the audience are able to rationalize how crazy the speaker's ideas are. As we know, this isn't always the case. Heck, it may not even be the case very often.

So, here's a story to bring this around...

Recently, a man was charged in an impaired driving crash in the midwest. No one was killed in this single car crash, but the driver himself was injured. Apparently, while he was driving, said impaired driver had been huffing inhalants.

Bad enough, right? The thing is, the driver said he learned how to get high from inhalants off the TV show, "Intervention." Really?

If you haven't seen it, "Intervention" shows some horribly sad stories of addiction and abuse of substances. It's reality TV, so of course, they show some terribly shocking cases. Somewhere in this driver's mind, he watches a tragic story on TV and thinks, "Hey, that sounds like a thing I'd like to try!"

Just like my philosophy of letting crazies talk as much as they want, there's a downside to "Intervention." I.E., it teaches people in the audience to get high.

I caught an episode of "Intervention" a few months ago, featuring a wife/mother. Alcohol was her drug. For most of the episode, she was seen staggering around the house with a giant bottle of mouthwash, swigging it all the while.

Now, if I was a 14 year old kid ready to experiment with alcohol...would I go through the difficulty of stealing booze from a store, sneaking it from the parents liquor cabinet or trying to get someone 21 to buy? No way! I'd be headed to the medicine cabinet and grabbing the Scope.

This is why it's so, so essential for parents to know what their children are watching. That way, parents can intervene to be sure the kids know the dangers to themselves and others before trying something they've seen on the tube.

Buena Vista University

2010-02-11T10:28:00.001-08:00

Feb 8 found me speaking for several different factions of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. This was my first trip to Storm Lake and, well, it lived up to the name! For a Floridian boy now, being knee deep in snow drifts and negative temps was quite the eye opener! (pardon the pun)

The only thing more fun than being hunkered down in a warm suite, cuddled up under a blanket watching the Superbowl with Marvelyne was the programs themselves. A HUGE thanks goes to the human relations class, the Buena Vista student athleetes and coaches, the nursing and pre-med majors and reps from the local hospital for the patient care program. Plus, the nearly 20% of campus that showed up for the evening keynote...Wow! You guys rock!

Extra special thanks goes to Donna and Tom Musel for being such incredible hosts! Had so much fun with you guys...smiley fries and one of the best reuben sammiches ever! Look forward to a journey back to Storm Lake sometime in the future!

Idaho State University

2010-02-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

On Feb. 4, Idaho State University hosted yours truly to campus for keynotes. Thanks to the fraternities and sororities at ISU for being such an awesome audience for the afternoon keynote, and thanks to the general student population of ISU for coming out that evening!

Special thanks to Aaron McCabe, Val, Sammie and Tanya for being such awesome hosts! Also thanks to the ISU chapter of Kappa Sigma for welcoming in a brother into their midst! Thanks, gentlemen! AEKDB

What's the Answer?

2010-02-10T14:46:00.001-08:00

The below link is to an article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch concerning drunk driving in Missouri.

I haven't been intimately involved with the anti-DUI movement in Missouri since moving to Florida three years ago. However, I'm so pleased to see that the justices, lawmakers and policy makers are all on board for more effective anti-DWI measures.

A little factoid from my days at Missouri State University...

In an old substance abuse intervention class, we were taught a stat that said of 100 alcoholics, 94 will die as a direct result of their drinking. MVA, falling down stairs, drowning in a bathtub, etc. Four alcoholics will have organic brain damage which will effect them the rest of their lives. Two alcoholics will make it into permanent recovery.

Now, cross reference this with an old tour to the medium security prison in Fordland, MO. Every prisoner is required to work a 12 step program for his substance abuse issues. Due to these 12 step mandatory processes, this prison has only a 40% "rate of return" by prisoners released. The national and state average? 80%.

The question remains: How do we keep the chronic alcoholics with a history of DUI off the roads? Incarceration with a focus on treatment? Seems to work. But what about just keeping them off the roads? Obviously if a prisoner is incarcerated, he/she is driving nowhere. But it takes so many resources to accomplish this.

This is why so many folks in the anti-DWI fight are in favor of using technology to accomplish the goals. Breathalyzers installed in the cars of offenders, alcohol detection devices planted in steering wheels, retinal scans in rearview mirrors that show if a driver is drunk, etc. Does this technology cost a lot of money? In some cases, yes. But is this a better way to keep offenders off the streets? I think so.

Again, the most heartening thing of all is seeing such an active interest in the DWI fight. Props to Missouri for being so progressive with their DWI enforcement, prosecution and goals of keeping drivers safe.

http://m.stltoday.com/STL/db_/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=Im7SYAg7&src=cat

Britain's Busting Of Booze Hounds

2010-01-07T16:22:00.001-08:00

This article gives a bit of an idea of combating excessive alcohol consumption in England. It's interesting the man quoted in the article says Great Britain's level of alcohol consumption is at an epidemic level. I heard the same thing said about the United States' consumption rate over five years ago. The American who stated this runs an alcohol rehab facility in California and studies the trends. A bit frightening...and something we need to stay aware of.

**************
New Year drunks should pay for hospital care?

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Excessive drinking over New Year's Eve could cost Britain's National Health Service as much as 23 million pounds, according to a report on Thursday which recommends drunks be charged a hospital admission fee of 532 pounds ($845.9).

"Alcohol misuse in Britain is at a level where it constitutes a public health epidemic," said the report by the right-leaning Policy Exchange think-tank.

Direct costs to the state-funded NHS, which provides free health care for Britons, are nearly 3 billion a year, with hospital admissions for alcohol intoxication doubling in a decade, it added.

The government should review its entire strategy for tackling the harms from alcohol misuse, it advised.

"We recommend that the costs of being admitted to hospital to sleep off alcoholic excess should be met by individuals, not the NHS," said Henry Featherstone, head of the think-tank's health unit.

"Those admitted to hospital for less than 24 hours with acute alcohol intoxication should be charged the NHS tariff cost for their admission of 532 pounds."

That amount would be reduced for those paying the costs of their own alcohol education and awareness course.

Department of Health figures confirm that total annual healthcare cost relating to alcohol misuse amounts to about 2.7 billion pounds a year.

(Reporting by Stephen Addison; Editing by Stefano Ambrogi and Paul Casciato)

Prevention In The Stratosphere

2010-01-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

Shaming of wrongdoers in America goes back a long, long way. Think the stockades where early Colonists were held in public, the powers that be hoping they'd be embarrassed by the public ridicule.

That type of punishment has been proven ineffective, for the most part. Plus, with the Constitutional right of no cruel and unusual punishment, you don't often see people hung out to dry in your neighborhood.

Now, with the era of social networking, one D.A. in Texas is bringing a bit of the shaming punishment back to the forefront. The D.A. of Montgomery County, Texas is using Twitter to post the names of DUI offenders. Since beginning the practice, a couple dozen drunk drivers in Texas have had their names "revealed" to the public.

I put revealed in quotes for one reason: their DUI arrest is already public information. The D.A. is just using a creative and technologically advanced medium to get their names out in front of the public. Here's a link to an article and you can draw your own conclusions:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6802419.html

One of the complaints of the practice says it's not right to single out drunk drivers. His wish is that if the D.A. is going to do this, then the name of every arrestee should be put up on Twitter. My opinion? Fine by me!

The D.A. has a fine point: DWI is the biggest crime in his county. For such a prevalent crime, measures can be taken to try to prevent such a crime.

The use of Twitter to share the names of drunk drivers doesn't exactly fall into shaming alone. It's also a great preventative tool. If you were in this county, wouldn't you think twice about driving drunk to be sure your name is kept out of the media?

Either way, I applaud any efforts that keep drunk drivers off the road – when nearly 15,000 Americans are killed every year by this preventable crime, I'm glad someone in the criminal justice system is stepping up to try to make a difference.

Metro State University

2009-10-12T17:35:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Metro State University in St. Paul, MN held an awareness event for Disability Awareness Month. Not only was yours truly an honored guest, but I got to share the stage with Minnesota Secretary of State, Mark Ritchie (the kind of guy I wish I could vote for, but that would mean having to live through Minnesota winters!)

Special thanks to Mary Bailey-Bustos and Stephanie for all the help logistically, for being so darned entertaining and welcoming for we out of towners!

Upstate Schools!

2009-09-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

This week was filled with programs in one of my favorite places: the upstate of South Carolina! Tuesday was a marathon day with four programs: Palmetto High, Wren High, Wren High's SADD club and then a parent program for Anderson District One. Thanks to Dr. Mason Gary at Palmetto High for allowing me to speak to the Palmetto High student body! This was one awesome program! Thanks to Robbie Benneker at Wren High School for the opportunity to speak to all 1700 Wren High students! Tons of FaceBook friends from both Wren and Palmetto-and thank you to all the parents who came out in the evening to discuss how we can have better relationships with our kids and help them make healthy and safe choices. Special thanks to Leigh Colombo for helping arrange these programs – you rock!

Anderson University

2009-09-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

Wednesday and Thursday found me at Anderson University in Anderson, SC-and what a fantastic time this was! Anderson's Wednesday morning chapel service and then an evening program for Anderson's NCAA student athletes! A very special thank you to all those who came out for the Wed. evening program who weren't under any obligation, but who just wanted to hear more! Again, a special thank you to Leigh Colombo for helping get these programs arranged, funded and for just making them so much fun!

Thursday, I was a guest presenter for the Anderson area Drive Smart Coalition; a group of individuals and institutions concerned with eliminating needless fatalities in the Anderson area. Once again, special thanks to Leigh Colombo for helping make this happen and everyone in the area should give a big thank you hug to Leigh for helping touch the lives of over 20,000 students in the Anderson area!

“Liquor-Cycles"

2009-09-20T13:15:00.001-07:00

This past week while I was in South Carolina, I learned about a trend in the SC drunk driving field: liquor-cycles.

In South Carolina, if an individual gets a certain number of DUIs, he/ she will lose their license to operate a motor vehicle. However, if the vehicle is under a certain horsepower, it's not considered a motor vehicle. Scooters, Vespas, etc. are allowed for DUI offenders who are no longer allowed to drive a real car or truck.

On one hand, I like this notion. And truthfully, I'm kinda surprised so many people actually choose to drive their Vespas and stay within the law.

However, no matter if someone has a driver's license or not, he/she can still jump in a car, turn the ignition and drive down the road. If a convicted drunk driver is staying within the law and not operating a car, that reduces the risks for the general public from habitual DUI offenders.

However, isn't there a better way to keep habitual drunks from driving? Yes, yes there is. And that is by the use of modern technology. With as many Americans as get DUIs and get their licenses taken away, it puts a dent in the American work force. Wouldn't it be a better way for us to use technology that allows a driver to operate a vehicle when they're sober, but not when they're drunk?

Not just the ignition-lock breathalyzers, but the use of intoxicant detecting sensors on the steering wheel. And lasers on a rearview that can see if the driver has been drinking. True, this may take a bite out of the liquor-cycle market, but so what?

Let's embrace modern technology to keep our streets safe and our lives guarded, instead of just trying to circumvent the problem by putting drunks on different vehicles.

"DeSales University...Fourpeat!"

2009-09-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

For the fourth year running, I was honored to speak at DeSales University in Center Valley, PA for the Character U. program. There is no finer group of people to work with than Wendy Krisak, Dr. Gregg Amore and Chad Serfass... people who, over the last few years, also become good friends.

Thanks to the class of 2013 for being such a fantastic audience and for allowing me to be one of the initial parts of your college experience! Best of luck for the fall term!

Go Hoosiers!

2009-08-31T10:38:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you put 3200 Hoosiers and one Marcus in the same room? Fun, that's what!

Indiana University's Culture Fest is a huge component of the freshman Welcome Week experience-and an opportunity for students to learn the value and excitement of diversity. So, what's a small town white boy from Missouri doing talking about different cultures? A lot, actually!

See, as we discussed at Culture Fest, everyone has a story. And every story has a message behind it. IU freshmen learned my story and, hopefully, that gives a little inspiration to share their stories-and to learn from those of others.

Special thanks to Melanie Payne, Patrick Hale, Tyler Coward and Kaley for being such awesome hosts! Oh, and to Melanie for running around Culture Fest loading me up on ethnic food – yummy! Thanks for all the FaceBook sign ups and awesome comments, too-totally makes my day to know I'll be remembered at IU!

Go Hoosiers!

20/20

2009-08-22T19:08:00.001-07:00

Columbia University

2009-07-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, second year in a row to have an awesome event with Columbia University nursing students! Thanks to all who took part in the day's events and especially to those future nurses who've signed up to be Facebook friends!

A HUGE "Thank You!" to Dr. Norma Hannigan for believing my medical programs have enough info to warrant a second trip to Columbia! (And for being the kind of educator we are fortunate to have shaping the healthcare profession – she makes me want to go back to school)!

It’s hard to express the mindset the day put me into – somewhere between ecstatic, humbled I'm able to help and realization that this is why I do what I do. Thank you!

The Earlier The Better - NOT!

2009-06-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here's some solid research for those who think the Europeans have it right by introducing alcohol to children. Responsible drinking is created by modeling, not by introduction at an early age.

Early tipple 'breeds alcoholism'
Parents who introduce their children to alcohol in the hope of encouraging responsible drinking might be doing more harm than good, work suggests.
The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found drinking before the age of 15 increased a child's risk of becoming a heavy drinker.
A teenager's fast-developing brain becomes programmed to link alcohol with pleasure, experts believe.
Research shows that by the age of seven most children will have tasted alcohol.
A poll of 11 to 15-year-olds in England in 2007 by the NHS Information Centre found around 640,000 were likely to have drunk alcohol in the past seven days.
Of hospital admissions in 2006/7 specifically due to an alcohol-related diagnosis, almost one in 10 were in under 18 year olds.
The NIAAA study matched information on the teenage drinking habits of more than 22,000 Americans with the development of alcohol-related problems.
Starting young
The men and women were divided into three groups - those who first drank under the age of 15, between 15 and 17, and 18 or older.
People who started drinking before the age 15, and to a lesser extent those who started drinking at ages 15 to 17, were more likely to become dependent on alcohol as adults than people who waited until 18 or older to start drinking.
This link remained even when they took into account factors like duration of alcohol exposure, family history and a wide range of other risk factors.
Research also shows the likelihood of developing alcohol-use disorders in adulthood is about 50% higher for people who start drinking before the age of 15 as for those who abstain until they are 18 or older.
Deborah Dawson, research scientist at the NIAAA, said: "We can see for the first time the association between an early 'age of first drink' and an increased risk of alcohol use disorders that persists into adulthood."
Howard Moss, the institute's director for clinical research, said: "Early alcohol consumption, as a misguided choice, is driving the relationship between early drinking and the risk for development of later alcohol problems.
"The data support the notion of delaying the onset of drinking behaviour as late as possible."
Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said: "Parents are certainly the best placed group to encourage responsible drinking attitudes among young people, but this study, like others should give them pause about precisely when it's right to start giving alcohol regularly to their children.
"Younger adolescents whose physical and mental development is ongoing ought not to be drinking regularly as successive pieces of work has shown a close connection between that and damage to key systems."
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore of University College London's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience said young brains were very malleable and changed fast in response to new influences.
Early alcohol exposure could be acting as an environmental trigger for adolescents with an underlying disposition to alcohol problems, she said.
"Although a lot might depend on the amounts drunk as well as the exposure itself," she added.
A spokeswoman from the social care organisation Turning Point said: "At the moment there is simply not enough help for children and families affected by alcohol misuse.
"Without important interventions at vital stages of these young lives, they are much more likely to go on to have alcohol problems themselves."
The NIAAA study will be published in the December issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
BBC News

What's Better? Treatment? Or Time?

2009-06-14T17:50:00.001-07:00

In today's Houston Chronicle, there's an article about drunk driving being called a "pandemic" by some law enforcement officials. Harris County, TX leads the nation's most populous counties in DWIs, according to the information provided. The reason for so many DWIs? One of the main problems I've always pointed at: we live in America. I.E., a huge country, lots of people, lots of land, little public transportation. Plus, what little public transportation there is is concentrated in the major cities with more population per square mile. NYC? Chicago? Boston? San Fran? Public transportation there isn't nearly the problem as it is in places like Harris County, Texas. And anyone who DOES live where public transportation is readily available knows that, in order to save money, public transportation staggers the routes during non-peak hours...like at 2 a.m. when the bars close down. When someone has been drinking and their judgment is impaired (heck, even when judgment is NOT impaired), are people likely to wait 45 minutes at a bus stop, only to get on public transportation? Not so much-many people will take the risk of a crash or a DUI.

Harris County is trying a new approach for first time offenders: treatment instead of time. Rather than throwing the book at the impaired driver, Harris County is requiring convicted drunk drivers to attend classes on alcohol and the effects on the human body AND society. Will this lower DWIs? IIs it a better course of action than giving time to a DWI offender? Good question.

At Missouri State, my criminal justice classes required us to tour the medium security prison in Fordland, MO. This prison has a 40% "rate of return" when the other prisons in the state average 80% (I'm fudging the numbers a bit, but it's close) Why is Fordland so much more successful? Simple: every prisoner there is incarcerated due to his addiction. Yes, maybe the prisoner is in for armed robbery, but he knocked off the liquor store to get money for his crack addiction. So, Fordland makes 12 step programs mandatory with the idea that if the addiction is treated, the prisoner will be less likely to re-commit a crime. Is it working? The stats speak for themselves.

Will Harris County be successful in offering treatment instead of time? This is the $100 million question. I'd love to see those with serious alcohol issues get treatment. Compassion for addicts just seems sensible. Yet, when the addict kills someone due to driving drunk, do we take co passion? Or do we throw the book at him?

Philosophically, is there a difference between the drunk driver who lucks out and gets home safe, or the drunk who gets a DWI, or the drunk that rams his car into an innocent and kills the other person? The same crime has such a wide possibility of different outcomes.

Where does the opinion of your humble blogger fall? Treatment and compassion for first time, non-violent offenders, including ignition locks for a designated number of years. However, if the offender kills or injures someone else, we have to treat that crime like it's (gasp!) a crime-something that seems unpopular amongst many in the public. The usual argument being that DWI is not a malicious crime...but try telling that to anyone who has lost a loved one to a drunk driver.

These topics can be debated until the cows come home. Yet, you know what was really a pleasant surprise? The comments in the Chronicle from readers. Every comment I read was supportive of being tough on DWI. It seems the tide is starting to change and the public is becoming more and more aware of just how dangerous DWI is. Will we ever totally accomplish this goal of having every driver on the road be sober and alert? Dunno-technology holds the key, but for now, just seeing a proactive approach on the part of government and attitudes of the public is a step in the right direction.

"The Hangover"

2009-06-14T17:49:00.001-07:00

Okay, "The Hangover" is being touted as the funniest movie of the summer. I haven't yet seen it, but as much as I usually dislike going to the movies, I'm kinda excited about this one.

Two reasons why: 1. I love comedy-especially off-color comedy! And secondly, I think there'll be some good blog food/discussions that come out of this film.

I know virtually nothing of the premise of the movie, but I did catch one of those trashy tabloid shows a few nights ago. In it, the interviewer asked stars of the film about their worst hangovers.

One guy said he had a rough time with Jaegermeister when he was a kid. The next talked about how he vomited so much that blood vessels broke all over his face.

Both the interviewees talked about their experiences with a Cheshire Cat grin. I suppose most of us with a history of alcohol use/abuse can think back on some of the stupid stuff we did while drinking. I know when I get together with some of my old fraternity brothers from college, we spend a decent amount of time reminiscing about the things we did that were horribly dangerous...and thanking the almighty we're alive to tell the stories.

Yet, I still question what the effect of "The Hangover" will be on young people. Will it glorify alcohol use and abuse? Are the scenarios disgusting, yet in a funny sort of way? Will any teens see this as a lifestyle to live up to?

I'll report back after I get a chance to watch the movie. As always, I encourage you to watch everything the media puts out with an open mind and the ability to discern what positive AND negative aspects can be pulled from your experience.

Would You Like Fries with that DUI?

2009-06-14T17:25:00.001-07:00

Tucson, Arizona has a new (and innovative) way of helping warn drunk drivers from getting on the streets: Operation Would You Like Fries?

A Pima County deputy is stationed inside local drive through fast food restaurants. When a patron pulls into the drive through who has slurred speech, alcohol on the breath or distributes any other signs of intoxication, the deputy radios to another deputy in the parking lot to pull over the suspected drunk.

Funding for the operation comes from the governor's office of highway safety and is paid for with overtime grants to put the officers in place.

Any drawbacks to this? Certainly...drunks may just decide not to drive through fast food restaurants. Drunks may get word there is a sting at a certain burger joint. There may be a traffic lawyer who argues probable cause for such action.

So, here's a reminder: DWI checkpoints are NOT intended to catch drunk drivers. True story: checkpoints raise awareness, not actually intended to catch impaired drivers.

And this Operation WULF? Again, raises awareness with the public. Does it do so? Well, I'm sitting in my living room in Florida and I know about what Pima County, AZ is doing...gotta think Pima County residents also know!

At the very least, Operation WULF is helping to show area residents that DWI isn't accepted in Pima County.

Does Glassware Promote Drinking?

2009-05-14T12:03:00.001-07:00

A high school in Pennsylvania has made the news for the prom favors chosen by the students. Seems the students all received a shot glass as a take-home souvenir from prom. Parents were upset that the glasses promoted alcohol consumption and were being distributed to minors. The principal (who signed the invoice for the favors) didn't realize what he was signing (or so he said), thinking it was just party favors.

First off, this is nothing new, even if it was on the national news. For the last 17 years, I've had a beer mug sitting in my cabinet that advertises one of my proms. But, did that glass promote alcohol consumption by my underaged classmates and I?

Frankly, we didn't need much promotion. The glass was much more a sign of the times rather than a prom favor. But did it send the wrong message? That's a tough question to answer.

Will we ever be able to eliminate underage drinking? Very doubtful. After all, where there's a will, there's a way. It's doubtful we'll ever be able to squelch the teenage desire to drink alcohol. It is, after all, something adults do and kids aren't allowed. (ADD story: I have a theory we should ban all books. Why? Because it'll make kids want to read! I volunteer MY book to be the first on the list to be banned! Simply put, it's human nature to want what we are not allowed.)

So, will we be able to stop the desire? No, but we can stop some of the culture around drinking. Flip through any catalog of prom favors and you'll quickly see it's not just beer mugs and shot glasses. Hurricane glasses, wine goblets, champagne flutes, scotch glasses, pilsners – if you can serve alcohol in it, you can get it emblazoned with your school's prom theme.

Simply put, I think it's shameful that companies sell this stuff. Will it directly cause minors to drink? Probably not. Does it help create the unnecessary link between celebration and alcohol consumption? Certainly. And does it give students paraphernalia they'll then display on their keepsake shelf at home, immediately recognizable as a device used to consume alcohol? Definitely.

And let's cut the crap...sure, you can drink water out of a wine glass, but no one does. And people don't get served Mountain Dew in beer mugs. And a shot glass is good for absolutely nothing except liquor.

Principal's part in this? Yeah, he/she holds some blame. As tight as school budgets are, as famous as teens are for trying to get away with pranks and jokes and all around mayhem, don't you think it'd be smart to take a little looky see before you sign your name on the dotted line?

Who wins in this situation? The parents. They've made their wishes known – they want their children to be sober and alcohol free. With all the bad rap parents get for throwing keggers and overnights for drunken minors, I was really glad to hear parents standing up for some safe actions of their kids.

Will Lowering The Drinking Age Make Us As Moderate As Europeans?

2009-05-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

Before I got married two years ago, I read everything I could get my hands on that dealt with parenting-specifically, parenting teenagers. And even more particularly, teenage stepchildren. So, bopping along through my list of potential reads, I came across a title that made me smile, “Yes, Your Teen Is Crazy” by Dr. Michael Bradley.

Ordered it, read it, LOVED IT! Gave me so much insight into the mindset of my new teenage stepkids…and I was really ashamed to admit I’d forgotten what it was like to be a teen. But his book put me right back into the mindset, the insecurities and the oddities of teenage life. I’ve since recommended this book to dozens, maybe hundreds, of parents with teenagers (hey, it’s the least I can do, right?)

Tonight, Dr. Mike Bradley’s E newsletter popped up in my in box. Felt this is good blog food for Drunk Driving Speaker since, well, it’s all about teens and drinking.

Let it never again be said that Europeans know moderation and Americans do not. Here’s Dr. Bradley’s article:

Dr. Mike Bradley's e-Newsletter
"Lowering the Drinking Age Will Save Teen Lives"
The dad who said this was a member of my audience in a talk about the alcohol abuse tsunami that has swept over America’s teenagers. Like the hundreds of other parents (along with many college presidents) who have said the same thing to me over the years, he was thoroughly convinced that allowing teens to drink alcohol at younger ages would reduce this problem: “We should let American kids drink like they do in Europe---you know, where kids grow up using alcohol from a young age so that they learn how to drink responsibly. European kids don’t see booze as a ‘forbidden fruit’ so they aren’t as attracted to it as teens are here. I know because I grew up in Spain and saw kids drinking wine at age four. They would just sip it. Everyone knows that kids in Europe don’t abuse alcohol like American teens.”
First, a disclaimer: I’m a myth junkie. I fervently hope that “Nessie” (the Loch Ness Monster) truly exists. And no one would love it more than I if one day it is proven that space aliens have been visiting our planet. I love those myths. They give me a welcome relief from the tedium of the day, an exciting respite where I can believe that magic is possible, that there are simple answers to complex issues, and that the experts don’t know what they’re talking about. I hate it when scientists rain on my fantasy parades by telling me that the odds of anyone having ever been abducted by space aliens are about the same as the odds of being abducted by space---well, you know what I mean. So I very much sympathize with folks who believe that handing Coors to kids will cure this epidemic of dangerous teen drinking. If that worked, I’d be the first to buy my son a keg and share a few with him. But science tells me that that “life-saving” act could well kill him.
According to those party-pooper researchers at the National Institutes of Health teenagers who start drinking at age 14 have a five-hundred-percent increase in the odds of becoming an addict than kids who wait until age 21 to imbibe. Teen brains are apparently “soft,” much more prone to the addictive effects of substances such as alcohol. Adolescent gray matter seems to get whacked much more powerfully by booze than does adult brain tissue. And alcohol is associated with everything bad that happens to teens to include car crashes, school failures, arrests, sexual assaults, unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and that worst of all parental nightmares, suicide.
So what about those European adolescents who can legally drink anywhere from birth to age 16, who are given alcohol at early ages, and who “everyone knows” are drinking responsibly? Well, I’m afraid that they must be off swimming with Nessie or teleporting to Mars since we can’t seem to locate them on Earth. In comparing adolescent drinking patterns (via the 21 nation European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs and the United States Monitoring the Future Survey), it becomes clear that American kids (ages 15-16) are pikers when it comes to the “boozing Olympics.” For example, while 39% of US teens admit to drinking in the past 30 days, they only tie for last place with Croatia. The adolescents in each of the other 20 European nations easily beat out the US with some nations doubling our “scores” of active teen drinkers (Greece and the UK tied at 74% with Denmark being the runaway “winner” at 81%). Well, you could argue, maybe those EU kids ar e drinking, but surely they’re drinking more responsibly, right? Wrong! US teens “lose” the party-‘til-you-puke event as well. While 24% of America’s kids binge drink, every other EU nation (except Portugal) handily beats us. Interestingly, Denmark again “wins” that binge drinking event with 61% of its teens regularly drinking themselves into oblivion. Clearly, providing kids with access to alcohol does not teach responsible drinking. It does teach life-threatening risk taking.
I love myths as much as you might but if you ever had to bet the ranch on Nessie surfacing or ET phoning home, would you bet for or against those events? Well, that same cold calculus must also hold true for the deadly myths about teen drinking. The brutal fact is that an astounding number of us parents promote adolescent alcohol madness by voluntarily providing this deadly substance to our kids based upon an insane belief in those killer myths. A third of drinking teens say that their parents hand them the booze. A fourth of our kids say that parents drink with them.
If we grownups all stop pushing this drug, will our teens stop drinking? No, but science also shows that our calm but firm opposition can limit the frequency and intensity of adolescent use. Few folks obey speed limits, but everyone knows that those silly signs and annoying tickets do limit our dangerous excesses. So when it comes time to bet the life of your child, avoid the loud “everyone knows” myths and instead trust the quiet science which yells, “Teenagers can’t drink.”
Dr. Mike Bradley
Dr. Bradley is available for speaking events on a variety of topics. Check out docmikebradley.com for more information and for excerpts from all of his books, including his latest release When Things Get Crazy with Your Teen: The Why, the How and What to Do NOW! (McGraw Hill, 2009).

Marcus Engel inspires audiences to achieve success - No Excuses!
www.MarcusEngel.com
Marcus@MarcusEngel.com
314-852-4494

Disability and Drunk Driving: A New Concept for Community Service?

2009-04-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

One of the coolest orgs I get to work with is the Association for Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), and one of the coolest people at AHEAD is Kim Probin. Often times, I’ll go to campuses for Disability Awareness Week or other disability programs, inspiring students with disabilities (and those without) to overcome their adversity, whatever their obstacles may be. This is usually separate from the alcohol awareness and DUI prevention programs I provide for college students.

But, thanks to Kim being such an innovative thinker, she recently managed to marry the two concepts together. I LOVE this idea and if there’s anyone who works in a non-for-profit who also has DUI offenders serving community service in their offices, please let me know and I’ll be happy to pass some books along to you. Who knows?! Kim may just be onto a new notion of impaired driving prevention! Here’s her note:

Hi Marcus!

The reason for this note is not about conference, exhibiting or anything like that. The purpose of this note is a couple of other things...

Last week, I received a phone call from a very nice girl named Annie. She is from Florida but now lives local here to the Charlotte, NC area. She was calling "non-profits" to see if she could find one willing to let her fulfill her obligation to do community service hours for the Department of Corrections. I was a little hesitant at first, but then found myself asking her some questions about her charges, how many hours she had to complete, etc. Annie went on to tell me that she was charged with a DUI last year when she was just 27 years old.

Maybe at one time, I wouldn’t have really thought about it too much. But, not this time... after all, I read YOUR story... now, there was a personal connection to this kind of thing for me. As we spoke on the phone about her charges, I found myself asking her if she had been in an accident, how they caught her, etc. Thankfully, she was not in an accident but she was caught speeding while intoxicated. She seemed to really focus on how much money this has cost her in fees, classes, fines, etc. I wanted to know though, did she REALLY learn the lesson in the "bigger picture?" During our entire conversation, my mind kept flashing back to your story. I kept thinking about how your life had changed and how I could make a difference so that this wouldn't happen to someone else.

Finally, I spoke with Stephan and we agreed... we would allow Annie to fulfill her community service hours with us. She said she would clean the office, file, run errands, and that sort of thing. But, I thought there was a better use of her time. My goal was to have her leave AHEAD with more than cleaning experience. I wanted her to learn something... REALLY learn something from what she had done.

Marcus, as I write this, Annie is sitting in another office with nothing to do but read your story. I want her to feel the impact of what could happen to someone's life because of a lack of judgment. I want her to realize that one moment is all it takes to change the entire course of someone's, as well as her own life forever.

I hope that you are okay with this and that you agree with the way I have decided to handle things with Annie. I know that you go and speak to large groups at schools and to special interest groups all over the country. But, I also want you to know that your story will be passed on even if it's one person at a time.

Thank you for being you!

Kim P.

MADD Florida and Marcus Engel Team Up!

2009-04-30T14:27:00.001-07:00

MADD Florida Appoints New Vice Chair
Marcus Engel Accepts Leadership Role

TAMPA, Florida Noted author and motivational speaker, Marcus Engel, has accepted an appointment to the State Operating Council for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Florida. Marcus Engel’s message and MADD’s mission are a natural match,” said Don Murray, MADD Florida’s Executive Director. “His message of being blinded and catastrophically injured by a drunk driver, plus his journey of healing and recovery, are nothing short of extraordinary. We are thrilled to have someone of Marcus’ caliber joining our leadership team!”

On a cold autumn night during his freshman year of college, Marcus’ life was changed forever. A drunk driver, travelling at nearly twice the legal speed limit, struck the car in which Engel and other teenage friends were riding. Blind and facing hundreds of hours of reconstructive facial surgery, Marcus became one of the tens of thousands of Americans injured every year by intoxicated drivers.

Marcus had to endure more as a teenager than most of us will ever have to face in a lifetime,” said MADD Florida’s Council Chair, Mario Murgado. “We’re honored to partner with Marcus and we hope his experiences will help serve as another deterrent for Florida motorists.”

While still restricted to a hospital bed, a feeding tube and respirator, Marcus set his goal: return to college and recapture life. These goals sustained him through two years of medical recovery, a six-month stint at rehab school and one month training with a new Seeing Eye dog.

“This new position will allow me to give something back to MADD,” Engel said. “MADD gave my family so much support and advocacy following my crash. I want to use my resources, experiences and talents to support all of MADD’s missions, specifically the fight against impaired driving and underage drinking.”

Engel began speaking professionally during his senior year of college, sharing his inspirational message of prevention with audiences nationwide. His autobiography, After This… An Inspirational Journey for All the Wrong Reasons has empowered tens of thousands of readers to realize their potential and to strive for personal excellence. His latest book The Other End of the Stethoscope: 33 Insights for Excellent Patient Care” is an inspirational tribute to health care professionals, offering tips on treatment from the patient’s perspective.

For further information on MADD, visit www.MADD.org or www.WalkLikeMADD.org. For more information on Marcus Engel, visit www.MarcusEngel.com or call 314-852-4494.

Buckle Up, Floridians!

2009-04-30T14:13:00.001-07:00

National Safety Council Praises Florida for New Primary Seat Belt Law

ITASCA, Ill., April 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After years of work by traffic safety advocates, Florida is joining the majority of states that allow police to ticket drivers solely for failure to wear seat belts. The National Safety Council praises Florida legislators for voting to enact the Dori Slosberg and Katie Marchetti Safety Belt Law, named for two young women killed in crashes while not wearing seat belts. The Florida House today voted to accept the proposal, 95-20. The Florida Senate also accepted it, 33-4, on April 28.

"The National Safety Council praises Florida, its dedicated state legislators and state leadership who helped achieve this truly significant goal. Florida is now poised to save hundreds of lives," said Janet Froetscher, NSC President & CEO. "Over the past 10 years the NSC and its Air Bag and Seat Belt Safety Campaign have worked hard with Florida to change the public mindset about seatbelts and safety. Today we share what must be a great level of pride in that state."

Currently, Florida law enforcement officers can not ticket someone older than
18 for not wearing a seat belt unless the person first commits another traffic offense. The new law will remove that requirement and impose a $30 fine for failing to buckle up. The new law will save an estimated 124 lives each year in Florida, prevent 1,700 serious injuries and save $408 million, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is expected to sign the bill into law.
Florida will then join 26 other states and the District of Columbia in
allowing police to stop drivers for lack of seat belt use alone.

The National Safety Council (www.nsc.org) saves lives by preventing
injuries and deaths at work, in homes, communities and on the roads,
through leadership, research, education and advocacy.

SOURCE National Safety Council

James Madison University

2009-04-25T20:18:00.001-07:00

On Monday, April 13, I had the honor (and it was a TRUE honor) to work with James Madison University's SafeRide program. Dig this... and I'm going to come at this as if you, EE reader, are uninformed about SafeRide since I sure was!

JMU is a campus of approximately 17,000 students, nestled in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. A gorgeous campus near the Blue Ridge Mountains, an incredibly passionate group of students and a true desire to keep JMU students safe from DUI.

The SafeRide program is a 501C3 non-for-profit student run org which provides JMU students with sober rides on Friday and Saturday nights. Several rented cars driven by JMU students are dispatched to different locations when students call into the switchboard. Then, the sober chauffeur shows up, drives intoxicated students home and a threat for a DUI crash is now nill.

The JMU SafeRide program has approximately 200 volunteers who promote, drive, answer phones and, in general, help coordinate the SafeRide program. In the last several years since the initiation of SafeRide, over 10,000 safe rides have been given to JMU students. Think of that for a second...10,000 intoxicated drivers taken off the road. Not by the cops, not by the legal system, but by passionate students who simply want to see their friends arrive alive. Major props to the JMU SafeRide program for such fantastic work!

And special thanks to all my travelling companions who ran me back and forth to Charlottesville! Extra special thanks to Jamie Koslosky for being such an incredible client to work with! Thanks again, JMU! You guys rock!

279 Tweens And One Better Person

2009-04-23T06:24:00.000-07:00

Did you like high school?

Note: If you’re in high school now (or will be in a few years), disregard this question for now, but come back and answer it around 2025, okay?

So, did you like high school? Usually, this question gets one of two polar opposite reactions. Most folks either loved it… or loathed it. There’s not much in between!

However, when you ask about middle school, the response is almost always unanimous: “Hated it!” I know I sure did! I mean, this is when I so, so, so wanted to talk to these strange beings known as “girls,” yet I had all the communication skills of a Rhesus monkey hopped up on No Doz. I tripped over my own two ginormous feet, forgot to wear deodorant on a daily basis, my voice had more cracks than a plumber’s convention and, to top it off, I had hair growing in weird places (my apologies to all you visual learners).

So, when I was invited to go back and speak at my old middle school, I accepted… and promptly felt my face break out with zits.

When the day rolled around, I’ve gotta say, middle school isn’t nearly as traumatic as I’d remembered! Either that or 20 years means I’ve forgotten all that embarrassment… NOT!

Okay, serious stuff here… When I was doing Q & A with my Montgomery County R-II Middle School audience, I got one of those really profound (and unexpected) questions that make me love working with middle schoolers:

“Marcus, do you think you’ve become a better person since you lost your sight?”

I’m not sure I’ve ever had this question from this age group before, so I didn’t have a ready answer. Yet, every so often, I open my mouth and something appropriate pops out (not like that time I accidentally spat in my date’s eye at my first dance… ahhh the flashbacks continue!)

Okay, back to serious stuff again…

Question again: “Do you feel like you’ve become a better person since you lost your sight?” Answer? “Yes, absolutely! And I hope I’m a better person today than I was yesterday. And I hope tomorrow I’ll be a better person than I am today.”

For years, I’ve been a big advocate of constant self improvement. Yet, I’m not sure I’ve ever thought of it in this day-to-day realm. To be a better person than yesterday means I have to do something (anything, really) today. Right here and now. And tomorrow? Third verse, same as the first.

Ya know, the horrors of middle school were nothing compared with those life-changes after high school… but they DID help me become a better person. Yet, even if I didn’t have such a dramatic story, I hope I’d still be the kind of person who wants to make daily improvements. But that means putting forth a conscious effort. Every day, I want to learn something new, do something healthy, teach something important and experience something different.

As a 13 year old middle schooler, I was just happy to get home at night with my underwear still intact. Some days still feel like staying in bed might have been a better option – but now I know the bigger picture. A person’s actions, attitudes and choices… these are things we each control. Every day, sometimes even moment by moment! Each experience brings an opportunity to have that moment shape a positive tomorrow.

Years, life experience and a desire for daily improvement. These things add up to helping create a happy life. I hope you embrace the same goals and determination. And thank goodness middle school isn’t even close to the best years of life!

"Sewanee: University of the South"

2009-04-22T15:40:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, April 14, I flew into Nashville (one of my favorite cities), but this time, it wasn't to go to Tootsie's nor Robert's Three Doors Down. This time, it was to head towards Chattanooga, through the mountains and stopping off at Sewanee, the University of the South.

Sewanee is a really interesting place with some fantastic southern hospitality! The president of the university is the mayor of the town, campus police are also the town police – the university IS the town. I often hear that statement when I'm in a small town with a college or university, but this time? It was literal!

Thanks to Nicky Hamilton for bringing me to Sewanee for Derby Days and the effort to provide students with an alternative message of alcohol abuse! I had a fantastic time with the fraternity and sorority members and Carson got lots of lovin' from Sewanee girls! Thanks also to Sewanee for one of the best lattes I've ever had!

“Walk Like MADD”

2009-04-11T17:01:00.001-07:00

We’re all familiar with “Race for the Cure” walks that help promote cancer research and awareness. Now, Mothers Against Drunk Driving is holding a similar event, “Walk Like MADD” to help raise funds to prevent impaired driving. The deets are below for the Florida event. My new friends with MADD Florida are some awesome people who are sure to make this a fantastic event! Please consider walking if you’re in the area, or donating as a virtual walker if you’re out of town. Thanks for your consideration and for your commitment to helping prevent impaired driving!

"Walk Like MADD Fundraiser" on Saturday, May 16 at 7:00am.

Event: Walk Like MADD Fundraiser
What: Fundraiser
Host: Mother's Against Drunk Driving
Start Time: Saturday, May 16 at 7:00am
End Time: Saturday, May 16 at 11:00am
Where: Tampa Lowry Park Zoo

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.WalkLikeMADD.com

Fullerton Tragedy

2009-04-11T16:45:00.001-07:00

Early Thursday morning the country learned of the senseless death of Nick Anderhart, a 22 year old pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels. After pitching his first start of 2009 on Wednesday evening, the car in which the young athlete was riding was struck by a drunk driver. Anderhart and two other passengers were killed in the crash.

One of these passengers, a 20 year old CSU-Fullerton Alpha Chi Omega, was in my audience in November when I presented at the University. When I read stories of this tragedy, its proximity to the university and the ages of the passengers, it became apparent very quickly how close to this crash that I was.

This morning, I wrote to Nick Katz, the director of Greek Life at CSU-Fullerton. After spending the day with Nick when I was on campus, I've come to know him as a friend. When I learned that the CSU-Fullerton student had indeed been in my audience, my heart went out even more to that university's community. Such a senseless crash... and one which could have been easily prevented.

This morning, I sent a message to the president of the Alpha Chi Omega chapter and I'd like to include it here. It's nothing profound because there's simply nothing to say other than, "I'm sorry." This crash shouldn't have happened and three young people should not have had their lives cut short by an impaired driver.

Again, I send my sympathy to the CSU-Fullerton community, the family and friends of Nick Anderhart, the Angels pitcher, and the young law student whose life was also lost...
**********

To the ladies of Alpha Chi Omega,

Last fall, you may remember a keynote speech I delivered for the Greeks at CSU-Fullerton. In this program, I shared my experiences after being blinded and nearly killed by a drunk driver. After the tragedy this week in Fullerton, I wanted to write and extend my sympathy to you, the Alpha Chi Omega chapter and the entire CSU-Fullerton Greek community.

Any death makes us stop and take a different look at life. When this happens to a young person with their entire life in front of them, it has the tendency to leave everyone reeling. And when the death is such a senseless and preventable tragedy as you experienced this week, the unanswerable question comes up again and again: Why?

When that question arises, it often leads to anxious, gut-wrenching pain... because there is no good answer. This simply should not have happened. While you'll probably never get an acceptable response to "Why?", I do hope this will somehow help you, your sisters, your family, friends, fellow CSU-Fullerton students and maybe many others understand just how precious (and precarious) life is. I also hope it will encourage you to hug your loved ones a little closer, always knowing the world can change in an instant.

No one can ever know precisely what another person is going through. We simply can't step into another's skin and mind to feel what they feel. We can sympathize, but never accurately empathize. Still, having experienced vast amounts of frustration and anger over a useless lost due to another's irresponsible choices, I've been helped so, so much by helping hands and listening ears of others. If I can return this favor by helping the sisterhood, please don't hesitate to contact me. I can't promise an answer to the question of, "Why?", but I can certainly be a hand to hold and a shoulder to cry upon.

With sympathy,

Marcus Engel
Orlando, FL

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Are Signs

2009-04-06T12:54:00.001-07:00

A suburb of Milwaukee is trying an innovative approach to curb underage drinking: intelligence.

Just like the NSA or the CIA (just on a smaller scale), law enforcement officials are monitoring Facebook and MySpace for "chatter" about upcoming keg parties serving minors. Plus, the ears of school teachers and administrators are open and they're relaying info to the cops. Between these two intelligence gathering avenues, cops have been able to more closely monitor the underage drinking problem.

Plus, if police learn of a party, they'll contact the property owners (usually the parents of a high schooler) to let them know what they've learned. Additionally, parents can be proactive.

If parents know they'll be leaving town, they have the option of contacting local law enforcement. The cops will then go out and place a sign in the front yard of the property where the party is to be held. The sign talks about how underage drinking is a crime, shows tombstones of 17 and 18 year olds and gives a strong anti-DWI message.

Will this approach work? Hard to say...but it certainly keeps the lines of communication open with parents, the school district and law enforcement.

You're Fired...Because Your Drinking Effects Your Work

2009-04-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

One of my guilty pleasures is watching "Celebrity Apprentice." I'm a sworn hater of reality TV, but watching non-business people trying to work in the corporate world is an interesting lesson in communications, marketing, sales and customer service.

This season's "Celebrity Apprentice" contains folks like Clint Black, Scott Hamilton, Joan Rivers, Dennis Rodman, Andrew Dice Clay and a bunch of others. In the episode I caught last night, Dennis Rodman was the project manager for a challenge whereby the two teams had to provide customer service for a luxury hotel in NYC.

I've never been a follower of the NBA, but even if you're like me, you've had to have become familiar with Dennis Rodman over the last decade or so. Once one of the most talented players for the Chicago Bulls, Rodman made his mark on the sport not so much by his playing abilities, but by his appearance and behavior: facial piercings, tattoos, multi-colored dyed hair. Plus, he was known for his extreme temper and attention-seeking antics. He's one of the only professional athletes who would show up in Times Square wearing a full bride's gown and veil, then turn around and watch clips of him kicking a cameraman right square in the crotch.

This kind of personality on "Celebrity Apprentice" was sure to be a train wreck... and with this hotel's customer service being placed in the hands of Rodman, we got to witness some extremes.

What I didn't expect to see turned out to be, well, just sad. Rodman's teammates (Clint Black, Hershel Walker, Jesse James, etc.) were totally behind him when the task began. Rodman really tried to make a go of it by helping guests, bending over backwards to be courteous, going the extra mile for customers.

Then, his demons came out. And by that, I mean he started drinking.

From the time he got his first drink, the whole thing went downhill. He not only became more belligerent and loud and hateful, but at one point, he simply disappeared. Without warning, he left his post, went to dinner and came back hours later... more drunk.

When Donald Trump took all the players into the board room, it turned from a firing process to an intervention on Dennis Rodman. Major, MAJOR props to Jesse James for having the guts to stand up to Rodman, point out how his alcohol use is out of control and do it in the most loving and supportive manner possible. Reason being? James has been down that road of addiction and abuse... and he's been clean for nearly a decade. His handling of the Rodman situation was nothing short of impressive.

As the board room episode moved on, the mood became less about the challenges and winning... and more about showing Rodman that he needs help. Tears were shed because, simply put, it's just so sad to see someone in the throes of alcoholism.

The very most impressive thing, though, was a subtle PSA as the show ended: the contact info for Alcoholics Anonymous.

We all hope that if viewers saw themselves in Rodman, they'll get help... and we hope Dennis Rodman will, too.

Southern Wesleyan University

2009-04-04T15:49:00.001-07:00

This week, I had the opportunity to do several programs for Southern Wesleyan University in Central, South Carolina. In addition to SC now being my home away from home, it was awesome to work with such a fantastic group of students! Thanks to Nurse Lori Herron for bringing me to SWU, to all the students who attended Tuesday and Thursday chapel services and especially to the group of ladies who came to the Wednesday night faith-based program – you guys are awesome!

Thanks for helping reinforce why South Carolina is one of my favorite places in the land!

John Carroll University

2009-03-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

Cleveland rocks! Cleveland rocks! And so does John Carroll University! I had the pleasure of speaking with John Carroll students in recognition of their disability awareness week on Wednesday, March 25. Throw in extra programs with the IFC and Pan-Helenic Council AND the Relay for Life leadership team and you've got a fun-filled day in Cleveland!

Special thanks to Brandi Rizzo, Mike Greco and Jill Smyrna in the Office of Students with Disabilities for being such great hosts (and for introducing me to one fantastic chicken philly sandwich in the cafeteria!)

A special thank you to Mike Veneri, Grand Master of the Kappa Sigma chapter at JCU for helping promote the mission of our college fraternity... AEKDB, Brother Mike!

And Carson wants to send a special "Thank You!" to Caroline for having a really great set of nails!

A Lesson From Justin Timberlake

2009-02-25T13:06:00.001-08:00

February has always been Grammy month. For a music lover like moi, this is a big thing. When I was 14 and smack dab in the middle of my O.G. phase, I'd fire up the old VCR (remember those?), tape the Grammys and watch L.L. Cool J and Run DMC over and over and over again. Ah, good times!

But this year I admit I just wasn't that interested. This could mean I'm getting old, or that the glitz just isn't as impressive without Adidas sweat suits and ginormous gold chains. Yee-ahhh, boyz!

Either way, the day after the broadcast I heard a story from behind the scenes that made me wish I'd paid more attention. A couple hours before the curtain lifted, one of the acts pulled a No Show. The panicked producers began to brainstorm on who could pull off a last minute - Grammy worthy performance. Justin Timberlake had just finished his dress rehearsal when the producer cornered him. Seeing the look of panic on the producers face - before even knowing the problem, Timberlake immediately asked, "What can I do to help?"

Within half an hour, they'd pieced together an all-star duet by the Rev. Al Green and Justin Timberlake, backed up by Boyz II Men with Keith Urban on guitar. Even if you're not a fan of any of these musicians, ya gotta admit, it's a ton of talent for one stage to hold!

In a moment of crisis, when someone steps up to do something that isn't required, we usually call that person a hero. I may not go so far as to call Justin Timberlake a hero, but the producer sure might!

Truthfully, I'm not even real familiar with Justin Timberlake's music (other than "In A Box" from SNL - one of the funniest moments on that show... EVER!)

But, I am a HUGE fan of the, "What can I do to help?" attitude.

The reality is, we're living in some tough times. Some may even call it a crisis. No doubt about it, the economy and all the stress revolving around, well, pretty much everything might make you want to be the one looking to receive help. But here's something I believe is important: If you're feeling vulnerable - stop! Help someone else!

Having the "What can I do to help?" attitude immediately makes one feel prosperous and fortunate. And the help doesn't have to be financial; there are so many ways to offer assistance to another. And when you do, you'll automatically feel a little more stable and secure.

Anyone with any amount of success who is honest will tell you they didn't do it alone. We all need a little help, now and then. When you see another's crisis and step in to offer help, it creates a reciprocal attitude that will come back to help in your moments of need. That's just how the universe works.

Lend a hand. Give a dollar. Share your prosperity. Step in at the last moment to do a duet with Al Green (wouldn't mind doing this myself!) Whatever you can do to help another is assistance that benefits... everyone!

Marcus Engel is a professional speaker/author who inspires audiences to achieve success by making intelligent choices. Blinded by a drunk driver at age 18, Marcus battled through two years of recovery and 300 hours of reconstructive facial surgery to reach his goal of returning to college. After graduating from Missouri State University in 2000, Marcus began sharing his story professionally to audiences nationwide. In 2002, Marcus founded his own publishing company with the release of his autobiography, "After This...An Inspirational Journey For All the Wrong Reasons." His latest book, "The Other End of the Stethoscope" was released October 2006. His messages of empowerment and motivation have been witnessed by hundreds of thousands through his keynotes, his autobiography and his monthly newsletters. Marcus Engel is a speaker, a message, a story you will never forget! Visit http://www.MarcusEngel.com for more information!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_Engel

If You Must Get Drunk... Do It In Birmingham

2009-02-17T18:03:00.001-08:00

We're all familiar with some generous taxi companies and limo companies who offer their services for cheap (or free) on New Year's Eve.

But what if a cab company did it all year long?

That's exactly what Yellow Cab in Birmingham, Alabama is doing!

The president of the company saw such a wide appeal for free rides for intoxicated individuals that they're keeping it around all year long for 2009.

Here's how it works:

Drunk goes up to the bar, asks for a cab. Bartender calls Yellow Cab, takes the would-be driver's keys, seals them in a special envelope. When the cab arrives, the bartender gives the envelope to the driver who returns them to the would-be driver when they arrive at the would-be driver's destination.

The president simply said, sure, that Yellow Cab will lose some money, but it's nothing compared to the cost of a human life.

Next time I go to Birmingham, I'm taking Yellow Cab. No drinking involved, I just want to patronize a company which takes such an active interest in keeping drunk drivers off the street.

The Ignition Lock Laws

2009-01-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

New ignition lock laws aim to foil drunk drivers

By MICHAEL TARM Associated Press Writer © 2009 The Associated Press
Jan. 2, 2009, 12:11PM
AP
CHICAGO — Motorists convicted of driving drunk will have to install breath-monitoring gadgets in their cars under new laws taking effect in six states this week.
The ignition interlocks prevent engines from starting until drivers blow into the alcohol detectors to prove they're sober.

Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska and Washington state began Jan. 1 requiring the devices for all motorists convicted of first-time drunken driving. South Carolina began requiring them for repeat offenders.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving has been conducting a nationwide campaign to mandate ignition locks for anyone convicted of drunken driving, claiming doing so would save thousands of lives. But critics say interlocks could lead to measures that restrict alcohol policies too much.
Users must pay for the fist-sized devices, which in Illinois cost around $80 to install on dashboards and $80 a month to rent; there's also a $30 monthly state fee. And they require periodic retesting while the car is running.

"It's amazingly inconvenient," said David Malham, of the Illinois chapter of MADD. "But the flip side of the inconvenience is death."

Other states with similar laws include New Mexico, Arizona and Louisiana. Most other states give judges the option of forcing convicted drunk drivers to use the devices. In practice though, they are rarely ordered unless laws mandate them, according to MADD.

Until now, that's been true in Illinois, said MADD national CEO Chuck Hurley.

"Illinois has excellent law enforcement," he said. "But the judicial system leaks like a sieve. This law will change the catch and release system to one where people are at least caught and tagged."

In Illinois, the interlocks are mandated only for the five to 11 months licenses are suspended with a first DUI. Drivers can opt not to install them, but then would be banned from driving during the suspension period.

Motorists in Colorado get a similar choice — install the devices or get a longer suspension.
The law taking effect in Washington state actually relaxes penalties on drunk drivers, allowing them to avoid a previously mandatory license suspension by getting an interlock. The bill's author, Rep. Roger Goodman, said too many motorists were driving with suspended licenses.
Motorists could try to skirt the devices by, say, having someone else blow into the detector or driving someone else's car. But if caught trying to circumvent the interlocks, they could go to jail.
Within a year, up to 30,000 first-time offenders in Illinois could be using them, state officials estimate.

New Mexico was the first state to mandate the devices in 2005. Since then, according to MADD, that state has seen its drunk-driving deaths fall 20 percent.

Hurley said other states could see the same percentage decline within a few years.
DUI deaths nationally have plummeted to around 15,000 from around 30,000 annually in the early 1980s.

Malham, who supports the technology, said in the future even more advanced technology will enable cars to effectively sniff car cabins, scan faces and eyes of drivers or even test sweat on steering wheels to assess sobriety before engines start.

Not everyone is as enthusiastic.

One of the staunchest critics of interlock laws for first-time offenders is the Washington-based American Beverage Institute, a trade association representing restaurants and retailers.
ABI managing director Sarah Longwell said the group backs interlock laws targeting repeat offenders and those arrested with high blood-alcohol levels.

But she said laws advocated by MADD don't allow judges to distinguish between those who have a few drinks and go just over the 0.08 blood-alcohol legal limit and those who go way over.
"We want sensible alcohol policies," she said. "We want 10 people to be able to come in and have one drink and not one person to come in and have 10."

She said current interlock laws could lead to more draconian measures.
"We foresee is a country in which you're no longer able to have a glass of wine, drink a beer at a ball game or enjoy a champagne toast at a wedding," she said. "There will be a de facto zero tolerance policy imposed on people by their cars."

She argued that MADD puts too much emphasis on links between alcohol and traffic deaths, giving too little regard to the roles excessive speed and driver cell-phone use in deadly accidents.
Proponents of interlock laws say studies back their approach. They cite a 2008 study by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation that found interlock devices in New Mexico helped decrease repeat offenses by approximately two-thirds.

MADD also points to figures showing one-third of all drunk drivers have a prior DUI conviction.
The American Beverage Institute questions studies cited by advocates, saying they other factors, like education programs, also account for the declines.

Malham concedes Illinois' new law isn't perfect. For one, it only applies to drivers during relatively short license-suspension periods.

"But perfection can't be the enemy of the good, to quote (18th century philosopher) Voltaire," he said. "I'd like to see more teeth in the law in the future. But this is a start."

***************************

What’s my official take on this issue and article? Frankly – I’m surprised! I’m surprised that with all the lobbying, red tape and difficulty in government that something this meaningful (and drastic) got through legislatures in these five states! Props to these states for helping to eliminate deaths from impaired driving!
A few things to consider about this article:

First lets look at Ms. Longwell’s “slippery slope” theory about the country moving to a zero tolerance level, implemented by technology in cars. The inference is that this is just one more measure that controls individuals’ personal behaviors

So, is that the goal? Does MADD really want a world where, as Ms. Longwell says, people cannot have a glass of champagne at a wedding or a beer at a ballgame?

To get this answer, I turned to Don Murray, executive director of MADD in Florida.
Is there any legitimacy to ABI/Ms. Longwell’s slippery slope idea? Is MADD attempting to lower the legal limit to .06, thereby further insuring Ms. Longwell’s idea of zero tolerance?

The answer is a resounding, “No!” Don Murray, executive director of MADD-Florida said MADD is fine with keeping the presumptive legal limit at .08. There is no push nor desire by MADD to have the limit legally changed. I think we’d all like to see people have enough personal responsibility to know their personal limit, but since that is unrealistic, a government imposed legal limit is necessity.

Second, just a little bit of education shows the drastic changes suggested by Ms. Longwell aren’t likely.

Physiologically, to reach .08, an average man (say, 180 lbs.) would have to drink four beers in 60 minutes on an empty stomach. Since the body metabolizes 12 oz. of beer, 1.5 oz. of liquor and 5 oz. of wine (single serving of one of the preceding) per hour, a glass of chardonnay with your Chilean sea bass ain’t going to get you anywhere near .08. Even two drinks, for most people, will not physiologically raise one’s BAC to .08.

Personal awareness of impairment levels is the absolute best way to govern oneself, but the zero tolerance idea put forth by ABI just doesn’t hold water.

Ice Dancing Champ Sentenced to Prison

2009-01-08T06:33:00.000-08:00

Ice Dancing Champ Sentenced to Prison
AP

BURGAS, Bulgaria (Jan. 5) - A court in Bulgaria has sentenced world ice-dancing champion Maxim Staviski to 2 1/2 years in prison for a fatal drunk driving accident.

The court on Monday overturned an earlier suspended sentence for the same term.
Staviski was found guilty of crashing his car into an oncoming vehicle in August 2007. A 23-year-old man died and an 18-year-old woman was severely injured in the accident.

Police records showed Staviski's blood-alcohol level was more than double the legal limit.
The 31-year-old Staviski was released pending his appeal. He was also ordered to pay $187,200 in compensation.

Staviski and Albena Denkova captured their second consecutive ice-dancing title at the World Figure Skating Championships in March 2007.

********

What are Bulgarian laws on impaired driving? Are they in line with America's? More strict? More lenient? Frankly, I don't know. It's difficult enough to keep up with the various laws in each state, much less in eastern European countries.

Maybe it's just me, but athletes drinking to the point of impairment seems, well, counteractive. Someone has had to physically train so hard to reach their level of accomplishment, yet drinks to such excess as to reduce the quality of that training. Big football players are one thing, but ice dancing? Any type of figure skating takes such precision that to think of that precision being "off" due to intoxication just seems out of line with what his life has been dedicated to. Interesting...but overall, whether it's Bulgaria or Boston or Buenos Aires or Bangladesh, a death from driving under the influence still results in loss. Death is the great equalizer, as it's said, but such a senseless way to die; not to mention preventable.

Hazing

2009-01-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

Sad and unfortunate and unnecessary. And, as you'll hear so many fraternity/sorority alumni say years after graduation, "That could've just as easily been one of us." We're all so lucky it wasn't us... but that doesn't change the loss of this student's life.

And the father of the deceased is right – this IS a system that has to change. And the best changes come from within. So, c'mon, fellow Greeks... this is yet another blinding flash of the obvious how we need to step up within our own organizations and prevent this type of tragedy from ever happening again.

Hazing Charged In Utah State Teen's Death

Last Edited: Saturday, 03 Jan 2009, 3:41 PM EST
Created: Saturday, 03 Jan 2009, 3:41 PM EST
Credit: MyFox

By The Associated Press

LOGAN, Utah -- A fraternity and sorority at Utah State University were charged with felony hazing after an 18-year-old freshman pledge died of alcohol poisoning.
The school's chapters of the Sigma Nu fraternity and Chi Omega sorority were each charged Friday with one count of third-degree felony hazing for their involvement with the death of Michael Starks. Prosecutors also filed misdemeanor hazing charges against 12 students, including the chapter president of Sigma Nu.
The students face a year in jail if convicted, while punishment for the chapters is unclear."You obviously can't put the entity in jail, but you can affect their corporate nature and their ability to continue to act as an association or an entity," Cache County Attorney George Daines said.Starks, of Salt Lake City, was found not breathing at the Sigma Nu residence and pronounced dead at a hospital after paramedics couldn't revive him. His blood alcohol content was higher than 0.35 percent, more than four times the legal limit to drive an automobile, authorities said.
A probable cause document said that Starks and another pledge were abducted by women from the sorority, bound with duct tape, and given vodka.
But the Herald Journal of Logan reported that the statement also said Starks was not forced to drink the alcohol.
Utah's hazing statute allows for charges to be filed even if the victim consented to the abuse as long as the person was younger than 21.Daines said previous pledges underwent similar initiation ceremonies."
The fraternity has to be held accountable," George Starks, the student's father, told The Salt Lake Tribune.
"It's a system, a machine that envelops the kids. Any one of those kids could have said, 'Wait a minute, this isn't a good thing.'"
The two organizations declined to comment until they read the charges.

Do Mechanical Singing Animals Cause Violence?

2009-01-03T05:58:00.000-08:00

There is one national chain of restaurants which logs more drunken brawls than all the others. Far outweighing even "real" drinking establishments (i.e., those with bars and drink specials) is (ready for this?)... Chuckie Cheese.

Yes, that's right! Apparently according to a national survey of crime stats, Chuckie Cheese has more assaults, domestic disturbances, etc. from alcohol consumption than other national chains.

And what does this prove? Not totally sure. I've personally never known a single person who's gotten loaded while at a kid's birthday party. But kids...that's where adults get stupider than by alcohol consumption.

We hear stories of parents getting overly involved in the lives of their children. Case and point, the cyber bullying case from St. Louis where the young girl committed suicide due to her friend's mother's MySpace duping. And get a bunch of kids together, especially where games, toys, bright flashing lights and alcohol are involved? ...yeah, I can see that.

Sad, isn't it? People have little control of themselves at any time, but to do so with children looking on is a huge disservice to the development and maturing processes of those kids.

Is it Sexist?

2008-12-31T14:19:00.000-08:00

Since New Year’s is so associated with heavy drinking and partying, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation put out a new public service ad discouraging people from getting behind the wheel after drinking. The commercial shows three different law enforcement officers pulling over three impaired drivers. In each case, the cop asks, “Sir, have you been drinking this evening?”

There are many ways to keep people from driving drunk. This is just one weapon in the arsenal. So, where’s the problem?

Some feel that due to the police only pulling over men in this advert, that the Department of Transportation is being sexist.

To that I say…check the data. The vast majority of drunk drivers are men between 21 and 34. They are also Caucasian or Hispanic. Typically, those who get pulled over for impaired driving have a blood alcohol concentration of .15 or higher (roughly twice the presumptive legal limit).

Would it hurt the U.S. DOT to show a woman getting cuffed for DWI? Nope. Nor would it hurt to show an African American, a transvestite, a midget or a couple of conjoined twins. The truth is, there is no demographic exempt from drunk driving. And I applaud the DOT for showing the most common offender-after all, it’s probably that same demographic that’s watching the adverts, too.

21-35 year old men are the most common impaired drivers.

Diddy’s Free Ride?

2008-12-31T14:16:00.000-08:00

Hey, maybe this is a marketing ploy to get people to drink more. And maybe it's not. Either way, if it keeps drunk drivers off the street, I'm all for it.

******

Free Ride

In an effort to get New Yorkers to drink up on New Year's Eve, Diddy is offering revelers free cab rides. According to the NY Daily News, the CIROC vodka spokesman will dole out $15 debit cards for people to use to get home safely after guzzling his product. We'll drink to that. (Dec. 30)

20% Of College Students?

2008-12-04T12:13:00.000-08:00

A new and extensive study was done on mental health of college students (see below). Props should be given for bringing mental health to the forefront along with the multitude of other health issues facing college students.

In my profession, seeing that 20% of college students are problem drinkers seems staggering. Does the excessive drinking lead to a mental health disorder? Or did the mental health issue act as a catalyst for overconsumption? The old "chicken or the egg" notion.

Either way, this study is sure to spark many debates on campuses nationwide. And if you're a college student dealing with any of these issues, every campus has resources to help. Like the article says, we, as a society, just have to get past the stigma of mental health disorders.

*******************************

1 in 5 Young Adults Has Personality Disorder, Study Finds

CHICAGO — Almost one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life, and even more abuse alcohol or drugs, researchers reported Monday in the most extensive study of its kind.
The disorders include problems such as obsessive or compulsive tendencies and anti-social behavior that can sometimes lead to violence. The study also found that fewer than 25 percent of college-aged Americans with mental problems get treatment.
One expert said personality disorders may be overdiagnosed. But others said the results were not surprising since previous, less rigorous evidence has suggested mental problems are common on college campuses and elsewhere.
Experts praised the study's scope — face-to-face interviews about numerous disorders with more than 5,000 young people ages 19 to 25 — and said it spotlights a problem college administrators need to address.
Study co-author Dr. Mark Olfson of Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute called the widespread lack of treatment particularly worrisome. He said it should alert not only "students and parents, but also deans and people who run college mental health services about the need to extend access to treatment."
Counting substance abuse, the study found that nearly half of young people surveyed have some sort of psychiatric condition, including students and non-students.
Personality disorders were the second most common problem behind drug or alcohol abuse as a single category. The disorders include obsessive, anti-social and paranoid behaviors that are not mere quirks but actually interfere with ordinary functioning.
The study authors noted that recent tragedies such as fatal shootings at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech have raised awareness about the prevalence of mental illness on college campuses.
They also suggest that this age group might be particularly vulnerable.
"For many, young adulthood is characterized by the pursuit of greater educational opportunities and employment prospects, development of personal relationships, and for some, parenthood," the authors said. These circumstances, they said, can result in stress that triggers the start or recurrence of psychiatric problems.
The study was released Monday in Archives of General Psychiatry. It was based on interviews with 5,092 young adults in 2001 and 2002.
Olfson said it took time to analzye the data, including weighting the results to extrapolate national numbers. But the authors said the results would probably hold true today.
The study was funded with grants from the National Institutes of Health, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the New York Psychiatric Institute.
Dr. Sharon Hirsch, a University of Chicago psychiatrist not involved in the study, praised it for raising awareness about the problem and the high numbers of affected people who don't get help.
Imagine if more than 75 percent of diabetic college students didn't get treatment, Hirsch said. "Just think about what would be happening on our college campuses."
The results highlight the need for mental health services to be housed with other medical services on college campuses, to erase the stigma and make it more likely that people will seek help, she said.
In the study, trained interviewers, but not psychiatrists, questioned participants about symptoms. They used an assessment tool similar to criteria doctors use to diagnose mental illness.
Dr. Jerald Kay, a psychiatry professor at Wright State University and chairman of the American Psychiatric Association's college mental health committee, said the assessment tool is considered valid and more rigorous than self-reports of mental illness. He was not involved in the study.
Personality disorders showed up in similar numbers among both students and non-students, including the most common one, obsessive compulsive personality disorder. About 8 percent of young adults in both groups had this illness, which can include an extreme preoccupation with details, rules, orderliness and perfectionism.
Kay said the prevalence of personality disorders was higher than he would expect and questioned whether the condition might be overdiagnosed.
All good students have a touch of "obsessional" personality that helps them work hard to achieve. But that's different from an obsessional disorder that makes people inflexible and controlling and interferes with their lives, he explained.
Obsessive compulsive personality disorder differs from the better known OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, which features repetitive actions such as hand-washing to avoid germs.
OCD is thought to affect about 2 percent of the general population. The study didn't examine OCD separately but grouped it with all anxiety disorders, seen in about 12 percent of college-aged people in the survey.
The overall rate of other disorders was also pretty similar among college students and non-students.
Substance abuse, including drug addiction, alcoholism and other drinking that interferes with school or work, affected nearly one-third of those in both groups.
Slightly more college students than non-students were problem drinkers — 20 percent versus 17 percent. And slightly more non-students had drug problems — nearly 7 percent versus 5 percent.
In both groups, about 8 percent had phobias and 7 percent had depression.
Bipolar disorder was slightly more common in non-students, affecting almost 5 percent versus about 3 percent of students.

Accused Drunken Driver Ends Up Running Over Self

2008-11-30T14:27:00.001-08:00

Of course, headlines like this will grab anyone's attention. After all, how many people can successfully run over themselves?

The thing I find so sad about this story is what they do NOT say: the guilty man's blood alcohol concentration. When I worked for the Missouri Division of Hwy. Safety, a commonly held belief is that the average DWI perp has driven under the influence over 100 times before he's caught for the first time. To evade officers, narrowly miss other cars in the pursuit, run through a ditch, etc. doesn't show it was this guy's first time to drive under the influence. And the really, REALLY sad thing is? He's 21. Barely old enough to legally consume alcohol, but he's already adept at DWI and running from police officers.

Thankfully, it mentions no injuries. The suspect is now in jail, not the hospital, so maybe we can infer his luck didn't really run out.

********

By AP
Posted: 2008-11-26 10:15:00
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- A man is in a northern New Mexico jail, accused of driving drunk and leading police on a chase that finally ended with him running over himself.

Roy Travis Aguilar, 21, was treated for minor injuries at a Santa Fe hospital and booked into the Sandoval County detention center on charges of aggravated driving while intoxicated, fleeing a police officer, careless driving and two other outstanding traffic warrants.

A tip on a police hot line Sunday afternoon reported a possible drunken driver on a highway.State Police Officer Grace Romero spotted Aguilar's pickup truck swerving across both lanes of the highway, driving slowly and then fast. He refused to stop.After narrowly missing other vehicles, police said Aguilar drove through a ditch and a barbed-wire fence before stopping. He tried to put the truck into park, but it ended up in reverse.

Police said Aguilar fell from his open door and both of his legs were run over by the front driver's side tire.

Concordia University-Chicago

2008-11-19T17:26:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, I was honored to present a program at Concordia University in Chicago! Student athletes and others gathered in the K.C.C. for a program to inspire students to make intelligent choices... and from all the Facebook sign ups and messages I've received, we got 'er done!

Special thanks to Kathy Gebhardt and Pete Gnan for hosting me at Concordia! It's been several years since I've worked in Chicago and it was awesome to be there with such a great group of Concordia folks!

Bacchus in Columbus!

2008-11-19T17:22:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of postings the last week or so. I've been on the road a lot and now, here's why!

Thursday, Fri. and Sat. of last week, I was exhibiting and presenting at the Bacchus Network General Assembly held in Columbus, OH. This is the third year I've attended G.A. and I'm always so excited to get to meet new friends and see past acquaintances!

This year, I was also excited to present with the PACE team from DeSales University on "Booze Busters." To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a university has partnered with a professional speaker to present a breakout session at G.A. I want to thank the PACE team for welcoming me in with open arms and congratulations on a job well done! Special thanks to Dr. Gregg Amore and Wendy Krisak for helping facilitate everything...and for one of the funnest times I've ever had at a conference dinner!

Side note: Friday night at G.A., there was a fire in a neighboring building. A big, stinky electrical fire. This fire caused the power grid to be switched off and hence, our hotel to be without power for nearly 12 hours. And yet? Hanging out on the street corner with the DeSales PACE team was just super fun! No one I'd rather be homeless with! And thanks to the Columbus Hyatt for handling the disaster in such a professional manner-truly one of the finer examples of customer service I've ever experienced!

DUIfoundation.org

2008-11-11T13:50:00.001-08:00

I just learned of a great resource with whom I share a mission: www.DUIfoundation.org

From their site, DUIfoundation.org stresses the human repercussions of impaired driving; that a single mistake can have devastating affects on not only the driver, but his/her passengers and other motorists.

But we all know this stuff, right? Everyone knows impaired driving is wrong and shouldn't be done, right? Sure! We all know this...but there are still approximately 15, 000 individuals killed every year due to intoxicated driving.

www.DUIfoundation.org is yet another resource in the fight to reduce (and hopefully eliminate) this dangerous and senseless crime. From legislation to law enforcement to support groups to resources for those with substance abuse issues, DUIfoundation.org is a web site I'll be visiting frequently. I hope you will, too.

CSU - Fullerton

2008-11-09T17:08:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Nick Katz at Cal State-Fullerton for inviting me in to work with the new Greeks and athletes on Nov. 5. Still in post-election afterglow, the CSU-Fullerton program was a great time!
Special thanks to Jenny, Emma the photographer (and all around cool gal), Emel, Matt and Sarah for being such awesome hosts… not to mention hooking me up with the CA fav, In and Out.

Thanks to all CSU-Fullerton students who’ve signed up to be friends on Facebook and MySpace, too!

Cal State San Marcos

2008-11-09T17:06:00.001-08:00

Thursday, Nov. 6 found me at Cal State-San Marcos to work with the students there! And what a fun group to work with! Special thanks to Julie Mattingly for being such an awesome client AND awesome person, Erika and Jenny for helping coordinate everything for my visit! Thanks also to Kathy, the health educator, at CSU-SM for helping drum up interest and for co-sponsorship for the event. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of students and I’m so glad that, even voluntary attendance got the auditorium filled!

Side note: If you’ve never been to San Marcos, leave your wing tips and cufflinks at home! San Marcos is this cool little beach town-ish place that has such a fun and laid back vibe! Was really cool to soak it up for a while!

And to Julie, Erika and Jenny… thanks for helping me haul my stuff all over campus all day…y’all can be my Sherpas any time!

University of Central Florida

2008-11-09T17:01:00.001-08:00

I will travel anywhere, at any time to do keynotes for anyone who requests them.It is nice, however, to also be able to sleep in my own bed! Although I've given four collegiate programs at the University of Central Florida, both nights I was able to come home, put my feet up on my own coffee table while relaxing on my own couch. Reason being, UCF is about 10 minutes from my front door!

What makes this an even more unique group of programs is my UCF client, Marcus Sedberry. In addition to being the first other Marcus I've ever had as a client, Marcus is also an incredibly nice, determined individual who is committed to the overall health and development of student athletes. His commitment simply shines through his work and I was so pleased to work with him!

Additionally, Marcus' assistant, Ashley, is a grad student who made my time around UCF even more fun and memorable!

Besides the student athlete programs (which were sponsored through the CHAMPS/Life Skills portion of the NCAA), I also had an opportunity to meet with Greek Life from UCF. The Tuesday afternoon luncheon with fraternity and sorority members, not to mention a great group of nursing students, helped kick off the tour de la UCF! Thanks to Lindi Smedberg and Ashley (not the same Ashley as from athletics) for helping make this so meaningful for all those who participated!I'd also like to thank Brennen, Sam and Jenny from the Student Athlete Council for an awesome dinner last night! It was so cool to hear that, in addition to keeping stellar GPAs and a tough practice schedule, just how much community service student athletes do every semester! Truly admirable, you guys!

Again, thank you to everyone who made this time at my new adopted home university so incredible!

Loyola Marymount University

2008-11-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

Ah, southern California! L.A. gets a bad rap... but if it's so terrible, why do so many people choose to live there?Well, yesterday, Oct. 22, I found out one of the reasons: Loyola Marymount University.I was brought to LMU by Dan Faill and the fraternity/sorority system for alcohol awareness week - and we had a blast! LMU is this gorgeous campus filled with highly motivated, friendly and quality students.

Just a couple miles from the beach and Marina del Ray, LMU couldn't ask for a much nicer physical setting! And yet? The people are even more impressive!

Special thanks

to Dan Faill for inviting me to campus, but even more for allowing me to hang with the Greek Council: Liz, Maddie, Kelsey and Tony. All four of these students are just plain fun!Thanks to Kelsey and Tony for helping me get around L.A. and just for such great conversations! Looking forward to a return trip to LMU sometime in the future! Thanks again!

EWU Eastern Washington University

2008-11-09T16:54:00.000-08:00

All right, so there ain't too much that beats getting to be in the Pacific Northwest during the fall! Living in Florida, it was so, so cool (literally) to step out in the morning, feel the chill come on, then ward it off with some strong coffee! Well, nothing beats that... except for getting to hang with my peeps at Eastern Washington University!

I first spoke at EWU back in 2006 for freshman orientation, so I'd already fallen in love with the greater Spokane region. But throw in some great times with Michelle Pingree, Jane Davis, Laurie, Laurel, Kaley, Marie, Tawney, James Wagner and Mike Miller and, well, it just was such a blast! Thank all of you for giving me such a great time! Whether it was having big gnarly biscuits at the Rusty Moose with Michelle, endlessly quoting "Super Bad" and "Stepbrothers" with Tawney and Marie and Kelly, talking fraternity/sorority philosophy with James Wagner or sharing time with the EWU athletes – this can all be summed up in two words: Good Times!

BTW... special thanks to Michelle P. for the gift for Marvelyne that she hasn't yet received (it's still buried in my suitcase, but she'll have it soon!)

West Hills College...Again!

2008-11-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

As promised, now that I'm back home, I can download the pics from all my recent travels. And, as promised, here's Sylvia Dorsey Robinson and moi at West Hills College from the Oct. 16 program.Thanks again, Sylvia, for such an amazing experience, for introducing me to so many quality people and for giving me a fabulous first experience in Lamoore!

Additional thanks to Dean Jose Lopez, Leo Orange, Keith Brock and all the awesome students and staff at West Hills College! Oh, and thanks for introducing me to that Mexican soda... Juaretta? (I forget the name now, but it was yummy!)

West Hills College

2008-11-09T16:52:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, Oct. 16, I was a guest on campus at West Hills College in Lemoore, California. Officially, I was invited to West Hills College to help recognize Disability Awareness Week, but I think we went above and beyond!Special thanks to Dean Sylvia Dorsey Robinson, Dean Jose Lopez, Leo Orange, Keith Brock and everyone else who made this day so unforgettable! I was truly honored (not to mention happy!) to spend the day with you guys and get to know the West Hills community!

Pictures will be coming when I get back home and can download them from the camera!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-10-31T13:10:00.000-07:00

It’s not St. Pat’s Day.

It’s not New Year’s Eve.

It’s not Labor Day weekend.

It’s Halloween! And what’s that have to do with the afore listed holidays?

Those holidays are just immediately associated with alcohol consumption. Really, what’s St. Patty’s Day without Guinness and Jamison? And New Year’s just wouldn’t be the same without a midnight champagne toast.

Yet? The single biggest bar night of the year is today: Halloween! After all, we adults get to dress up like we did as children, we get to go have tons of fun with other adults acting like children and that, as you might expect, means many, many Halloweeners (huh huh…I said wiener) means lots of alcohol consumption.

Tonight, with little trick or treaters out, it’s time to be extra diligent while driving. Later, when the bars begin to fill up, THAT is when we all need to be even more aware of others.

Happy Halloween, everyone… and please be safe tonight!

When a Drunk Driver Isn't Drunk...

2008-10-06T09:33:00.001-07:00

As a college intern with the Missouri Division of Highway Safety, I was privileged to work with the DRE (Drug Recognition Expert) training program. To understand what a DRE does and why they're important, let's turn to Hollywood...

A few nights ago, Heather Locklear was picked up on suspicion of impaired driving. She was seen driving, weaving, jerky car movements that are all signs of a DWI. Yet, when the first officer arrived on the scene and gave Ms. Locklear a breathalyzer, apparently she passed with flying colors. Yet, according to reports, when he questioned her, she was incoherent and slurring.

When a drunk driver isn't drunk, what do you do?

This is where DREs come in. DRE is a typical traffic officer with specialized training to spot drivers who are impaired by drugs, not alcohol. They're trained to recognize the effects of narcotics, barbiturates, marijuana, hallucinogens, etc. By using scientific methods like heart rate, pupil size, etc., DREs can then charge a person with impaired driving – even if they blow a .000 on the breathalyzer.

Heather Locklear's recent arrest has highlighted the importance of impaired driving...but even if she's innocent, it brings the crime of impaired driving by drugs to the forefront of the public's attention. Drugged driving can be as harmful as drunk driving and we need to treat it as such.

Jarts In The Frozen Food Section

2008-10-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

Let's say you're walking through your local supermarket. There, next to the frozen spinach and next to the Tombstone pizzas, you see the old lawn jarts from the 70s. Would you be confused? Amused? Angry that these now illegal "toys" are right there for anyone to grab?

Now, let me take you to two nights ago. My wife and I were grocery shopping at our local Publix. We walked past the cold beer section when, what to our wondering eyes did appear? A giant tub of ping pong balls. Again, what are ping pong balls doing here, in the refrigerated section of a grocery store?

To answer this question, let us first remember our proximity to on of the larges universities in Florida. Then think of misguided college student ingenuity. When college students get bored, they create things. Things like drinking games. Specifically, this thing called, "Beer Pong."

I'll spare you the rules and regs of beer pong, but suffice it to say it's a drinking game. Is there anything wrong with drinking games? Well, yes!

Now, before you get all up in arms, thinking I’m an anti-alcohol teetotaler, stop. Breathe. I'm not anti-alcohol. I do consume alcohol. I do not, however, agree with the whole idea of drinking games.

What's the big deal? Yes, contestants enter the drinking games voluntarily, but they're forced at worst, encouraged at best, to drink more than they might normally consume. That's just not good. Drinking games pushes alcohol consumption in larger amounts than someone may truly wish. Then, with the peer pressure, stigmatization, etc. that other contestants may create when the loser refuses to drink his/her allotted amount, well, again, overconsumption often takes place.

This is why I was really disappointed when I found accruements for drinking games at my local grocer – marketed in a way to encourage drinking games. In essence – marketing (promoting) drinking games.

If you spot something out of the ordinary in your local liquor aisle, you can probably bet it's geared towards some sort of drinking game. I hope food sellers will take notice of the dangerous act they promote and engage in more responsible marketing.

Six Bucks Worth of Violence

2008-09-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

We often hear about home invasions and muggings done by drug fiends needing to get cash to score their next fix. Alcoholics don't seem to have quite the violence in them to get their fix, but the amount of violence associated with alcohol consumption is still unimaginable.

This story from Florida has just a shadow of an association with alcohol...and that's even too much. The young man in this scenario doesn't sound like someone who can be rehabilitated, but rather, someone who's violence streak will follow him for life. For six bucks, the kid can probably get a cheap bottle of wine or an extremely cheap 12 pack of beer. The unthinkable...for nothing more than a night's buzz. How horribly sad.

*****
PALM BAY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35, Orlando) --

Palm Bay Police have arrested 16-year-old Alan Michael Tanguay for stabbing a woman to death inside her bedroom late Thursday night.The teen was arrested Monday morning after detectives and SWAT team members searched his home off Vin Rose Circle.

The incident began on Friday when officers found 58-year-old Patricia Kaliszeski murdered inside her home. Officers said the woman sustained multiple stab wounds, including an extremely deep cut across her throat.

Two witnesses came forward who told detectives that Tanguay told them he killed the woman, providing them with details of the murder. Tanguay told the witnesses that he entered the home sometime between late Thursday night and early Friday morning with the intention to rob the place. When he entered the home, Tanguay found the victim sitting on her bed. He told the witnesses he found a knife and approached the woman who attempted to defend herself against the attack.

The witnesses told police Tanguay made statements of having killed others and he had a rule that when he found someone inside the house during a burglary, he had to kill them.

"There's no doubt in my mind he would kill again," Chief Bill Berger said after Tanguay confessed to the crime. "This individual is a self proclaimed psychotic killer and what he did to this victim is beyond words. He needs to be locked up for the rest of his life," the chief added.

Police said the teen stole approximately $6 from the victim which he used to purchase beer.

When Guys Don't Think...

2008-09-26T16:14:00.001-07:00

Vomiting Milk Prank Causes CrashYou
Tube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__uEKSzhCsA

This news story is disturbing. If you don't watch the youtube vid, here's a quick synopsis...

Several fraternity brothers stood on an overpass and vomited milk down on the cars below. This caused several crashes and could have ended up a lot, lot worse...

If you were to ask these young men, "What were you thinking?" The answer would most likely come back, "I guess we weren't..." And, they're probably right.

Studies show some of the reasoning skills aren't fully developed until humans reach their mid-20s. Mix this with inexperience and (probably) alcohol consumption and we get this sort of event; something that was thought to be funny, but could have had dire results.

This is why students need to be encouraged to stop, think of the potential repercussions of their actions then, if there are no unhealthy outcomes possible, proceed with caution. Stop, think, reason, decide.

This is so often taken for granted in mature adults, but its importance on college students can't be emphasized enough.

Sadly, this thoughtless prank was conducted by several members of the same fraternity. Whether it's media bias or fraternities deserve the bad rep they get, we (as mature, reasonable adults) need to understand this is an isolated incident and due to the actions of a handful of young men. It wasn't the fraternity's weekly activity to go puke on cars. Yet, the entire fraternity will suffer due to the actions of a few.

Again, we need to highlight decision-making skills to college students. After all, this is the time when they can learn lessons for life...or they can continue to have the immature mindset that made this a story in the first place.

Teleconference Network Of Texas

2008-09-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Yesterday was a first for yours truly. I was the guest presenter for a teleconference arranged by the Teleconference Network of Texas out of UT Health Science Center in San Antonio. We had a group of nutritionists from across the country hooked into the bridge and, based on some of the feedback via E mail, it went well! For the guy who’s real interactive with the audience, giving a program without human feedback was a challenge, but it went really well!

Special thanks to B.J. Brown in San Antonio for being such a great host and moderator! I’d include some pictures, but since this was over the phone, you don’t really want to see me sitting on my couch in a grubby old tee shirt and khaki shorts, do ya?!

DeSales University, September 3

2008-09-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

Third year in a row and they just keep getting better! Thank you to the freshmen (and more!) class of DeSales University in Center Valley, PA for a fantastic Character U experience! We had a blast! The standing room only crowd was an absolute delight and, despite Carson having a little pukey spell halfway through my program, the POD’s were rockin the house!

Character U is one of the most exciting and outstanding freshman programs in the Nation. DeSales does and amazing job of offering students the tools and motivation needed to get the most from the college experience – start to finish!

Extra, EXTRA special thanks go to Dr. Greg Amore, Wendy Krisak and Chad Surface for hiring and re-hiring me and giving me the opportunity to work with new groups of wonderful DeSales students!

You guys are awesome to work with (and to hang out with too!!) Thanks Greg for giving us the tour of the Amore Vineyards – we enjoyed our time with you so much – and we cherish the souvenirs! Friends, if you're ever in the Lehigh Valley in PA, be sure to stop by The Amore Vineyards and Farm and meet the crew – it's an experience you won't forget!

Florida Civitan Convention

2008-09-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Florida Civitan Convention for inviting me to keynote on Saturday, Sept. 13!

Civitan (if you're not familiar), is a civic organization with a strong emphasis in providing assistance to individuals with developmental disabilities. And a more quality group you cannot find! Business, civic and faith-based leaders all compose this organization with a really special mission!

Thanks to Jean Smith, the Florida Civitan Governor, and also to Dr. David Persky for promoting my services to yet another group!

Pics include me with Abigail Persky (Dr. Persky's daughter and one of my coolest friends from Academy at the Lakes).

Interesting article...

2008-09-07T15:34:00.002-07:00

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5986983.html

Keep the drinking age at 21

By ROBERT NASH PARKER

A well-intentioned but misguided group of college and university presidents has been in the news recently for suggesting that we revisit the drinking age and asserting that 21 "is not working." Called the Amethyst Initiative, their proposal would have received a failing grade in my sociology classroom for its faulty logic and how unmindful it is of the history of alcohol policy in the United States. During the 1960s and 1970s, most states lowered the drinking age from 21 to 18 or 19. Arguments about the draft were cited -- "old enough to fight but not to drink" -- and in the general liberal climate of those times, good policy gave way to popular sentiment. The 128 college presidents who have signed on to the Amethyst Initiative apparently are unaware of the extensive research that documented the decade of carnage that followed -- not just on our highways but in our bars, streets and neighborhoods. Rates of alcohol-related traffic deaths soared. Rates of alcohol-related violence among those 18 to 20 increased. And as alcohol got more accessible to teens, more 12- and 13-year-olds started drinking. Beginning in the late 1970s, the states, led by Minnesota, restored the drinking age to 21, and they saw corresponding drops in alcohol-related car accidents and crash-related deaths. There also eventually were reductions in youth homicide, which resulted in part from the decreased access to alcohol, within the 18- to 20-year-old group and those under 18. The college presidents claim that research does not, however, support the conclusion that the drinking age spurred these changes. And although there are many different studies with inconclusive results, in 2001, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did an analysis of 49 studies. Looking at them together, the CDC found that increasing the drinking age was an effective intervention that significantly reduced harm and death among young people. On the Web site of Choose Responsibility, the umbrella organization that spearheaded the Amethyst Initiative, the arguments against the drinking age of 21 are particularly flawed. They contend that accidents and deaths dropped simply because the size of the teenage population went down. But they make an error that my undergraduate research-methods students are taught to avoid: They present raw numbers instead of the risk ratio, or the number of negative outcomes divided by the population at risk. Between 1982 and 1991, when most states had raised the drinking age, the number of deaths from alcohol-related traffic crashes among youth went down, as did the population of young people. However, the rate of deaths dropped from 16.9 per 100,000 young people to 11.1 per 100,000, a drop of 34 percent; the population declined only 6.5 percent. Between 1993 and 2004, the population of young people increased, but the number of deaths didn't go up. In fact, the rate dropped from 7.77 deaths per 100,000 to 7.0 per 100,000. The assertion that deaths from alcohol-related crashes are shaped by the number of young people is simply wrong. So what really has happened since the drinking age was raised? About 26,000 people who would have died when they were 18 to 20 years old are alive because fewer alcohol-related crashes occurred. Data from the University of Michigan's annual Monitoring the Future study of behavior trends among children show that under the higher drinking age, the proportion of 18-year-olds who drink has declined 14 percent since 1991; for those age 16, the decline is 23 percent; and for those age 12, the decline is a significant 38 percent. Research on underage purchases of alcohol shows that places where alcohol is readily sold to minors also have higher rates of youth violence. To be sure, the college presidents appear most concerned about the growth in binge drinking, a problem that may disproportionately affect their campuses. But it's not rocket science to figure out what would happen if the college presidents have their way with the drinking age -- hundreds more dead young people each year. Sexual assaults, alcohol-related fights and other injuries would also increase. Also, it's worth noting that alcohol-related deaths among young people not enrolled in college currently exceed those among students, so even more deaths and injuries would occur away from campuses. It is ironic that these campus leaders call for 18- to 20-year-olds to "choose responsibility," when it is the presidents who have shirked their responsibility to counter the dangerous binge-drinking culture that has developed on campuses. Research sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has shown that there are effective strategies to reduce student binge drinking. Instead, the presidents seem to have settled on approaches that will increase profits for alcohol companies at the expense of young people's lives and health. Until they do their homework, they get an F in public policy. Parker is a professor of sociology and co-director of the Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies at the University of California, Riverside. Brought to you by the HoustonChronicle.com

Cruises - Gotta Be 21 To Drink

2008-09-07T15:34:00.001-07:00

My wife and I are scheduled to take a Caribbean cruise this autumn. With all the hurricane activity this season, I was just looking at Royal Caribbean's policies if a 'caine comes through and prevents the vacation. While surfing their site, I came across the answer to a frequently asked question:

What is the legal drinking age in international waters?

While I don't have an exact answer to this question, any Royal Caribbean cruise originating in the USA requires all passengers who are consuming alcohol to be 21 or older. RC is partners with at least one other cruise line and I'll wager their policy is the same.

So, it's a no go for minors who want to drink on cruises. Props to Royal Caribbean for their policy which coincides with American laws.

Notre Dame College

2008-08-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

What does a college do to increase enrollment by 500% in just a few years? To find that answer, you'll have to study Notre Dame College in Cleveland, Ohio.

I was honored to speak at NDC last night for their Welcome Week activities and, let me tell ya, NDC people care. Yes, they care.

Whether it's the administration, the professors, faculty, staff - every one's enthusiasm and commitment trickle down into the culture of what is NDC. Brian Emerson, my client and now friend, was my contact guy for this event. As we drove from the airport to NDC campus, I learned about the way NDC had almost died out several years ago, but now has new life breathed into the institution.

The students were some of the most kind, generous and courteous I've worked with in a long, long while. I'd especially like to thank Brian for the opportunity, but even more for giving me the opportunity to touch some lives.

Two NDC students (who shall remain nameless for anonymity's sake) spoke with me afterward. Both these young ladies have been touched by tragedy due to some horrible car crashes in the past. Both were so willing to discuss their pain, their experiences and their hopes for the future - and that's not easy to do with a stranger like me. You two are the reason I do what I do - to be able to put a positive element into lives that might otherwise be tainted by tragedy. Thank you for sharing your journeys, ladies, and please let me know if there's anything at all I can do for you in the future.

Thanks, NDC, for giving me an awesome trip back to Cleveland!

Don't forget to sign up to be friends on Facebook and MySpace!

Lower the Legal Drinking Age?

2008-08-19T16:43:00.001-07:00

In 1984, Congress passed a national act that raised the minimum age to purchase alcohol to 21. Most states were already at 21, but it meant the stragglers had to step in line with the rest of the U.S. When the act took effect, DWI and alcohol related fatalities went down – way down.

Why then, would a group of over 100 college/university presidents now advocate lowering the national drinking age to 18? Simple, they say: Binge drinking is so much more dangerous than moderate drinking. And binge drinkers are, by far, more plentiful in the under 21 crowd.

The college presidents insist they’re simply requesting a continual dialogue – not asking for the limit to be lowered immediately. And that is a rational approach.

There’s a part of me which wonders if this isn’t backasswards. I mean, moderating alcohol consumption by legalizing it for every American college student between their freshman and senior years? Seems a bit reversed, doesn’t it?

Since I work in this field, I’m all for anything which will make alcohol consumption safer for everyone. Could lowering the drinking age do this? Potentially, but it’d need much study and evaluation and a whole, WHOLE lot of social engineering first.

Now, let me talk from a parental standpoint. Day before yesterday, I dropped my stepson, Jordan, off at the University of Florida to begin his freshman year. He’s a great kid, so I don’t worry he’ll be a stupid binge drinker who’ll line up 20 shots at a house party and need his stomach pumped. Yet, with all the new things which will be coming his way over his first semester, I don’t really dig the idea he’d have full reign to sample every type of booze under the sun. Think about that… a college freshman moves out of the house with Mom & Dad. Big change, right? He starts a whole new educational process, a whole new living arrangement, a whole new environment, a whole different set of friends, etc. In fact, it’s gotta be the biggest change many of us ever face. Why then, would we think it’s a good idea to lower the drinking age to 18 and add that to the difficulties of adaptation to adult life?

Outside myself, I believe lowering the possession, purchase age to 18 would actually increase underage drinking significantly. Not in the 18-21 age range, but the under 18 age range.

See, when I was in high school, I hung out with high schoolers. Most high school students do. They don’t know a huge number of college students, and those they do probably aren’t 21. But if there’s a high school senior who sees 14 and 15 year old freshmen in the halls every day, what’s to prevent that relationship from forming and getting younger and younger teens to start drinking? It’s mucho easier to ask a senior to run into the liquor store to buy a bottle of hooch when you see him/her in the cafeteria every day, right?

Again, I’m always open for discussion for any idea to make drinking safer and healthier – I’m just unsure this is the way to get that result.

"Which Is Worse?"

2008-08-18T11:45:00.001-07:00

Which is worse: Texting while driving or driving drunk?

That's a hard one to measure. Mainly because texting has only been around a few years. Obviously, anything that takes attention from the road is unsafe. No question there. But which is known for being a bigger killer?

America kills an average of 15, 000 people every year due to DWI. Texting? Hard to say. Unless there's a half written text timed at the exact moment of the crash, it's nearly impossible to tell.

This morning, I was reading on line about a young woman in California who was killed while texting while driving. She'd written a final text, but it hadn't been ssent out. Yet, the cops found her unsent text message on her phone's screen which was laying on the floorboards. Leads you to think her texting caused her death. And maybe it did!

But the headline was about how her fatality was from texting. Read the article and you'll learn she was drunk, too. So, which is a bigger story?

Americans are numb to DWI deaths. No biggie-until it happens to you or someone you love, right? But texting is such a new killer it makes bigger headlines. And that's just sad.

To take part in two separate activities that make driving so unsafe is simply stupid. No one deserves to die in a crash like this, but at some point, an individual has given up any right to complain if bad does, in fact, happen. There are only so many negative ingredients one can throw into the driving mix before it's almost certainly going to be an unsafe ride. In this case, I'm just thankful the girl in question didn't take out any other motorists.

"Which Is Worse?"

2008-08-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Mom Arrested for Having 12-year-old Drive Her to a Bar, Police Say

2008-08-15T07:30:00.001-07:00

Friday, August 15, 2008

LONGVIEW, Texas — A 35-year-old Texas woman has been jailed after police say she made her 12-year-old daughter drive her to a bar.

Police in Longview say they watched a minivan turn into a driveway without signaling on Wednesday and bump into a home at a low speed. They say the car was driven by Jennifer Lynn Rosenberg's daughter.

Police say the girl told an officer she had just dropped her mother off at a bar. They say they found Rosenburg at the bar and that she admitted having her daughter drive her there.
Rosenburg remains in the Gregg County Jail on a $2,500 bond. A jail official declined to say whether she had an attorney.

A spokeswoman for Child Protective Services told the Longview News-Journal that the agency is investigating.

*****

What an incredibly perfect example of bad parenting. You'd think a mother of this quality wouldn't even care about the possibility of getting a DWI, yet she WILL take the risk of both her and her daughter's lives having an underage, inexperienced kid behind the wheel.

It goes without saying that this woman seemingly isn't your average Jane, but someone who has a serious issue with alcohol. I don't think it ever occurs to a social drinker, "Hey, let's go out for the night! And let's have little Suzy drive us there!" This is an act of desperation to get to an establishment for the express reason of consuming alcohol. And it's just sad.

UMKC Roo Camp

2008-08-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, Aug. 13 found me in the greater Kansas City, MO area presenting for the University of Missouri-Kansas City. But not just any college program... no! This was Roo Camp!

What is Roo Camp, you ask? UMKC's mascot is the kangaroo, and this retreat is for a select group of UMKC freshman who have a strong desire to get the most out of their collegiate experience. Roo Camp immerses the UMKC freshman into acquaintance activities, discussions on college life and exposes them to experiences most freshmen don't get.

The helmsman of Roo Camp is Steve Terry - hands down, one of the most unique and motivated clients I've ever worked with. Steve, it was truly an honor to get to know you and work with you and the UMKC students. I hope to get back to KC for some more great experiences with folks who have such a true zeal for life!

While at Roo Camp, I also got to hook up with my good friend, Leah Atkinson. Leah and I have been buds for a dozen years and we were so fortunate she was able to officiate our wedding last year. Great students, great connections, great friends – what an awesome whirlwind trip!

Bet On Alcohol??

2008-08-12T13:47:00.001-07:00

It's a rule of thumb that alcohol companies weather economic downturns better than other stocks. A strong correlation between depression and consumption? Looks that way. The candy, though, is a new one to me.

In Recession, Bet on Alcohol, Tobacco
By JANE WARDELL
AP

LONDON (Aug. 12) - As a global recession looms, what better way to cope than to eat, drink and be merry?

Eat, Drink, Smoke and Be Merry
Tom Gannam, AP
Even as consumers face soaring energy costs, rising food prices and higher mortgages or rent, it seems clear they're not prepared to forgo many of life's little treats - alcohol, cigarette and candy makers are all reporting healthy sales amid the gloom.
"I would never give it up, not unless I was dying of alcohol poisoning or something," said Kelly Piggeln, a 62-year-old retired nanny, as she indulged in her favorite two vices of a cigarette and a glass of wine on the patio of a London bar.

Piggeln's stance is being echoed by cash-strapped consumers around the world, a trend that is reflected in strong financial reports this season from some of the biggest so-called "sin stocks" even as banks and many retailers report sliding income.

Sin stocks, ranging from gambling to liquor, are usually a safe bet in hard times. While shares in some of those companies have fallen along with stock exchanges this year, lots are still seeing strong revenues and sales.

"It's inelastic demand as far as many of these stocks are concerned," said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Keith Bowman, using the economists' term for consumption that is not deterred by higher prices. "So far there's signs that they are holding up, although there's still concern that these industries will see some impact."

Among the winners, though: Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., the biggest brewer in the United States, turned a profit in the most recent quarter despite fears that rising costs for raw materials like glass, barley and wheat and fuel would cut into The King Of Beers' bottom line.

The company is so confident that consumers won't abandon the beer that it plans to increase prices for popular brands like Budweiser and Bud Light to stay ahead of the higher costs.
Similarly, Denmark's Carlsberg A/S reported a 36 percent rise in second-quarter net profit, saying stronger sales, particularly in eastern Europe and Asia, helped offset rising costs.
In Milwaukee, Katie Brozovich - a teacher who also works three part-time jobs - said she makes choices in her spending, such as not having her hair and nails professionally done, so she can keep drinking the pricier craft brews she prefers.

"I'd rather spend $4 or $5 on quality beer than $3 on hopped up water," said the 46-year-old, who was sipping on a craft beer from nearby Michigan. "It's worth the extra buck or two to get quality."
Diageo PLC, the world's largest producer and distributor of spirits, dubs many of its brands - including Johnnie Walker whiskey, Smirnoff vodka, Captain Morgan rum and Guinness stout - "affordable luxuries" that people are loath to give up, even in an economic downturn.

London-based Diageo expects its Scotch whisky business to continue to grow at least 8 percent to 9 percent annually, amid growing demand from emerging markets in Asia and Latin America.
Those emerging markets, particularly the developing economic powerhouses of China and India, are playing a key part in the buoyancy of such companies in the current turbulence, boosting demand for alcohol and cigarettes, which are increasingly used as status symbols denoting success and wealth.

But much of the demand is also still coming from the United States and Europe, which have been hardest hit by the credit squeeze, with price rises not dissuading many consumers in those regions - Constellation Brands Inc., the world's largest wine company by volume, posted a 35 percent rise in branded wine sales in North America in the first quarter.

Sam McQueen, a 29-year-old teacher taking a lunch break outside Starbucks in Camden in north London, said she and her boyfriend had recently revised their spending strategy - and stop buying prepackaged foods at the supermarket to free up money for the treat fund.
"We're going to stop buying silly things like that as opposed to giving up going out for a drink," she said.

And while people can't smoke at the bar because of spreading smoking bans, tobacco companies are doing just fine.

Philip Morris International said its earnings rose 23 percent in the second quarter and it raised its earnings forecast for this year, saying it had not been affected by inflationary pressures like other consumer products companies.

"Cigarettes in general can withstand such an environment better than many consumer products," Chief Financial Officer Hermann Waldemer said at the time.

British American Tobacco PLC posted a 15 percent rise in its first-half profits with help from higher prices and increased sales of premium brands. Sales of BAT's most expensive brands, such as Dunhill and Lucky Strike, grew 7 percent.

"While not immune from the consequences of an economic slowdown, we can certainly look to the future with more confidence than most," Chairman Jan du Plessis said when announcing the results.

Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, which recently acquired rival Altadis, says it remains on track for a successful year. Altria Group , the owner of tobacco company Philip Morris USA, saw second-quarter profits slide because it spun off its international unit. But earnings from its continuing operations rose, and the maker of Marlboros reaffirmed its outlook for this year.

Not all the vices have profited. There are signs that Lady Luck has deserted gambling stocks while the pornography industry is also not proving immune to the downturn. Moody's has downgraded the debt of almost 20 gaming companies and four U.S. casinos have filed for bankruptcy this year. The pornography industry, which is largely privately owned, is also struggling amid slowing sales of DVDs.

But a drink and a smoke do not appear to be the only ways that consumers are comforting themselves in tougher economic conditions.

Cadbury PLC, the world's biggest confectionary company, reported a 7.3 percent rise in first-half sales in its first results since spinning off its U.S. drinks business. Among the big sellers in its candy store was Dairy Milk chocolate, rising 9 percent.

In the United States, the Hershey Co. reported dramatically higher second-quarter sales and profit and reaffirmed its 2008 guidance of sales growth of 3 percent to 4 percent.
"The odd bar of chocolate is not going to break the bank," said Louise Hill, 33, a London office worker. "I always have a piece a day and I can't see that changing."

Associated Press Writers Emily Ristow in London and Emily Fredrix in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

"Beyond Tomorrow"

2008-08-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

Beyond Tomorrow is a cable show which airs a variety of geeky and interesting things. Today's episode did a myth buster on beating a breathalyzer test. Have you seen this done on shows like Myth Busters before? I've seen this exercise performed in any number of ways, but never with successful results. Here's the haps:

Two guys got good and drunk; one on scotch, one on vodka and cranberry juice. Thirteen total drinks apiece in a three hour time frame. Best case scenario, with time to metabolize the booze, at the end of the drinking spree, both gents have a minimum of 10 drinks in their system. When they blew, the first guy blew a .11 and the second a .09.

After trying peppermints, mouthwash, batteries, hyperventilating and cigarettes, neither was able to decrease their BAC. Findings are always the same - the only way to truly lower one's BAC reading is by lowering the BAC itself - and that takes time.

What I found most surprising was that after a three hour bender, one drink every 15 minutes, both guys weren't all that high. Thirteen drinks is a task-one must be TRYING to get drunk if they're drinking that heavy.

This is why I shoot holes in the usual argument of how folks are afraid to have a drink or two with dinner. Afraid they might be picked up for DWI on the way home. Yet, these tests indicate one could have at least eight drinks within a few hours and be under the presumptive legal limit. That's not a mistake made by having a drink or two with dinner - that's only going to happen with hardcore drinking.

Granny's Wine... But Less Of It

2008-08-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

A new American Journal of Medicine study finds older Americans are drinking less. At the same time, minors are also drinking less. The study finds older Americans are more likely to drink wine instead of beer or hard liquor.

To what do we attribute these changes? From this blogger's view, there are several ingredients:

First, I think it stands to reason that as we age, most people's drinking slacks off. There just aren't a lot of folks who start drawing Social Security and use their first month's check to buy a beer bong. Second, the wine is a no brainer. With the health benefits shown by red wine, a more health conscious America is more likely to consume rouge vino.

The minors drinking rates falling off? First, education. Kids today are far, far more educated on the dangers of excessive consumption than at any time in history. Second, kids have more entertainment options than ever before. Instead of keg parties, many teens are turning to Wii parties. Instead of sneaking booze from the old man's liquor cabinet, kids are too busy text messaging. Instead of spiked punch at parties, more students are attending virtual parties on line on social networking sites.

Either way, the new AJM studies show some encouraging signs!

Beer For My Horses

2008-08-03T07:57:00.001-07:00

Country singer Toby Keith has now stepped into the world of film. Next week, his first stab at a movie, "Beer for My Horses" hits theaters.

Alcohol consumption has always been a staple topic in country music. "Beer For My Horses" is one of the biggest country singles of the last 10 years. Why? Just because of the line, "Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses"? Nah, it's more than that...

This song had the mass appeal of putting up with no crap from no one. In our post 9-11 world, I think it appealed to our sense of self protection, righteousness and justice. Throw in a line or two about drinking and you've got the recipe for a successful country tune.

The one thing I always noticed about "Beer For My Horses" as a song was this: the link between justice and alcohol. Once the job is done, you've protected yourself and the world, hey, tip back some booze!

Not sure this is a really great message, but hey, maybe I'm reading too much into the song. It IS a country tune, after all...

Marcus' Official Stance on Alcohol

2008-08-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

I had a recent inquiry as to my official stance on alcohol. This question came from a youth substance abuse prevention organization, not from an individual who was just curious. I figured this is something I should share because, frankly, it's the stance I believe most people should also have.

Alcohol is illegal for all American civilians under 21 years of age. I obey all the laws of this country. Therefore, when I speak to audiences who are minors, I do not and cannot and will not approve of the consumption of alcohol for those in the audience.

If a person is of legal drinking age, I believe in moderation, safety and responsibility if they choose to drink alcohol. If driving is involved, this becomes even more important.

That's my official stance on alcohol. The laws are what they are and I'm a law-abiding American citizen.

If there are clients or individuals with further questions, feel free to ask! Happy to share my thoughts, but rest assured my personal philosophies will always be in lock step with the laws of this country.

Beer Pong By Any Other Name...

2008-07-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

Changing a name doesn't change the truth of the game. Kinda like Cookie Monster being forced to eat carrots to give a good example to obese American children-he's still Cookie Monster, even if he's called Carrot Monster.

Beer pong is till beer pong, no matter what you name it. Does playing it on Wii reinforce drinking behaviors? When games are as realistic as, well, reality, it makes perfect sense to think "Pong Toss" will be a nice segue into beer pong. From a personal perspective, I first wanted to shoot skeet and trap after playing Duck Hunt on the original Nintendo. If you like the game, it makes you wonder, "Hmm, I wonder if I'll like the activity in real life?"

The game company has a bit of social responsibility to not invent a game which can damage society. But the thing that bothers me most is that "Pong Toss" is rated T for Teens.

Beg pardon? Teens? The only teens who can legally drink in this country are those in the armed forces while they're on a military base. And those guys probably don't have an excessive amount of time for Wii or beer pong.

Just another sad commentary on how we view alcohol consumption in our society.

************
Wii Beer Pong Game Draws Jeers
Does New Nintendo Game Glorify Teen Drinking Culture?
By CLOE SHASHA
July 9, 2008
ABC News

JV Games has cleaned up its new Nintendo Wii version of the college drinking game "Beer Pong" by removing references to booze and renaming the title, but authorities and mental health experts fear that it will only reinforce an alcohol culture on teens.

In the Wii Nintendo game "Pong Toss," developed by JV Games, the player scores a point after tossing a ping pong ball into the opponent's cup.

"Pong Toss," as it's now called, still gives gamers the ability to practice the tossing skills required for Beer Pong, a popular drinking game involving ping pong balls aimed into cups of beer. Beer-guzzling is the goal of the real Beer Pong game in many college settings.

The game earned a rating of "T" for teen — ages 13 and up — from the independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), and that has caused parents, educators and even one state's attorney general to react with dismay.

"When a behavior is modeled or practiced in any form, it becomes more likely to be practiced in the future," said New York psychologist Eva Levine. "Kids are very susceptible to this type of media. I see it all the time with young kids and adolescents. It's definitely true that children that are exposed to alcohol use are much more likely to engage in alcohol behavior."

On Monday, Conn. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal expressed concern about the game, and about the future games that will be released under JV's Frat Party Games line.

Blumenthal believes that a game like "Pong Toss" has more worrisome consequences than other types of violent or dangerous video games.

"My strong concern is the ratings, which fail to reflect the potential dangers," said Blumenthal. "It promotes alcohol use and even abuse and binge drinking, which certainly seems a more realistic prospect than someone driving a car dangerously after playing 'Grand Theft Auto,' although obviously, that's a problem as well. But what the beer pong game does is much more immediate for teenagers than what happens in 'Grand Theft Auto'."

The worry about teen drinking is real and rising. On Monday, an Associated Press analysis of federal records found that 157 college-age people, 18 to 23, drank themselves to death from 1999 through 2005, the most recent year for which figures are available. The number of alcohol-poisoning deaths per year nearly doubled over that span, from 18 in 1999 to a peak of 35 in 2005, though the total went up and down from year to year and dropped to 14 in 2001.

Keg Parties or Wine Tastings: What's College Drinking Really About?

2008-07-29T07:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I received the monthly E newsletter from my alma mater, Missouri State University.

Colleges are known for partying, heavy drinking, scenes from "Animal House"...all that stuff that post-college grads smile at, shake their heads in wistful amusement and think, "Man, it's a wonder no one was killed."

Colleges and universities don't typically promote their drinking stats, mainly because they're usually so disturbing. It's well known how much drinking goes on in colleges, but no one uses anything to do with booze as something to better the face of the university. Except maybe my alma mater...

When I received the E newsletter, there was an article about how Missouri State wines win medals in a regional competition. What?

Turns out, one of the branch campuses of Missouri state has a vineyard and winery called Mountain Grove Cellars. Wine from MGC was entered in a wine competition in Indiana recently and won.

It's interesting how different alcohols are "acceptable" due to the culture surrounding them. Wine is considered a classy, social beverage for celebrating, etc. But if there was a brewing contest, would anyone be proud of that? Or if someone was distilling their own whiskey, would that be something to brag about? Doubtful.

No college would ever think of promoting their university while promoting how good their alcohol is UNLESS that alcohol is wine. Just interesting cultural and sociological observations about college drinking and creation of alcohol...

Something To Make "Light" Of?

2008-07-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

It's interesting how the airline made light of this. The woman tries to open the cabin door at 33,000 feet? Granted, this is pretty hard for someone who is, 1. not in the flight attendant "know" on how to do it and, 2. drunk. Still, if she was able to get the door open, that spells bad news for everyone on board. The attempted assault with a bottle is another sign that these are two women who simply do not know how to control themselves with alcohol - and the kind of people who probably shouldn't even be drinking socially, either.

***
Drunken Passengers Go on Rampage, Force Plane's Emergency Landing
Sunday, July 27, 2008
foxnews.com

BERLIN — Two drunken British women went on a rampage on a charter plane, hitting one flight attendant with a bottle of vodka and trying to open a cabin door as the aircraft was cruising over Austria at 10,000 meters, police said Saturday.

The staff on the flight from Greece to England eventually forced the women back to their seats and the pilot made an emergency landing in Frankfurt on Thursday, police told The Associated Press, confirming a statement they had issued on Friday.

The identities of the women, aged 26 and 27, were not released, but police said the 26-year-old may be charged with attempted assault and interfering with air traffic.

Both women were released, police said.

The rampage occurred when a flight attendant denied the women alcohol because they were visibly intoxicated, police said. The 26-year-old took a swipe at a cabin attendant with a bottle of vodka, then attempted to open a cabin door.

"Apparently the 26-year-old wanted to catch some fresh air," the statement said, in an effort to make light of the altercation.

The two women were taken into custody by police at the Frankfurt airport and given a breathalyzer test. Both were legally intoxicated.

After an hour in Frankfurt, the flight continued on to Manchester, England.

Post Away...

2008-07-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ya know, I'm usually very concerned with how people portray themselves on Facebook and MySpace. I hate the idea of anyone posting pics of them doing some goofy stunt that could later mean they won't get a job, etc. But when a guy like this rubs the victim's nose in his crime? It makes me re-think my position. So, post away! If it helps put unrepentant fools like this behind bars for longer than they'd have originally been sentenced to, post away!

****
Web Photos Come Back to Bite Defendants
By ERIC TUCKER,
AP

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 19) - Two weeks after Joshua Lipton was charged in a drunken driving crash that seriously injured a woman, the 20-year-old college junior attended a Halloween party dressed as a prisoner. Pictures from the party showed him in a black-and-white striped shirt and an orange jumpsuit labeled "Jail Bird."
In the age of the Internet, it might not be hard to guess what happened to those pictures: Someone posted them on the social networking site Facebook. And that offered remarkable evidence for Jay Sullivan, the prosecutor handling Lipton's drunken-driving case.
A judge gave Joshua Lipton a two-year prison sentence over a drunken driving charge after the prosecutor uncovered this image of Lipton dressed up in a "Jail Bird" costume two weeks after his accident that nearly killed a woman.

Sullivan used the pictures to paint Lipton as an unrepentant partier who lived it up while his victim recovered in the hospital. A judge agreed, calling the pictures depraved when sentencing Lipton to two years in prison.

Online hangouts like Facebook and MySpace have offered crime-solving help to detectives and become a resource for employers vetting job applicants. Now the sites are proving fruitful for prosecutors, who have used damaging Internet photos of defendants to cast doubt on their character during sentencing hearings and argue for harsher punishment.
"Social networking sites are just another way that people say things or do things that come back and haunt them," said Phil Malone, director of the cyberlaw clinic at Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society. "The things that people say online or leave online are pretty permanent."

The pictures, when shown at sentencing, not only embarrass defendants but also can make it harder for them to convince a judge that they're remorseful or that their drunken behavior was an aberration. (Of course, the sites are also valuable for defense lawyers looking to dig up dirt to undercut the credibility of a star prosecution witness.)

Prosecutors do not appear to be scouring networking sites while preparing for every sentencing, even though telling photos of criminal defendants are sometimes available in plain sight and accessible under a person's real name. But in cases where they've had reason to suspect incriminating pictures online, or have been tipped off to a particular person's MySpace or Facebook page, the sites have yielded critical character evidence.

"It's not possible to do it in every case," said Darryl Perlin, a senior prosecutor in Santa Barbara County, Calif. "But certain cases, it does become relevant."

Perlin said he was willing to recommend probation for Lara Buys for a 2006 drunken driving crash that killed her passenger _ until he thought to check her MySpace page while preparing for sentencing.

The page featured photos of Buys _ taken after the crash but before sentencing _ holding a glass of wine as well as joking comments about drinking. Perlin used the photos to argue for a jail sentence instead of probation, and Buys, then 22, got two years in prison.

"Pending sentencing, you should be going to (Alcoholics Anonymous), you should be in therapy, you should be in a program to learn to deal with drinking and driving," Perlin said. "She was doing nothing other than having a good old time."

Santa Barbara defense lawyer Steve Balash said the day he met his client Jessica Binkerd, a recent college graduate charged with a fatal drunken driving crash, he asked if she had a MySpace page. When she said yes, he told her to take it down because he figured it might have pictures that cast her in a bad light.

But she didn't remove the page. And right before Binkerd was sentenced in January 2007, the attorney said he was "blindsided" by a presentencing report from prosecutors that featured photos posted on MySpace after the crash.

One showed Binkerd holding a beer bottle. Others had her wearing a shirt advertising tequila and a belt bearing plastic shot glasses.

Binkerd wasn't doing anything illegal, but Balash said the photos hurt her anyway. She was given more than five years in prison, though the sentence was later shortened for unrelated reasons.
"When you take those pictures like that, it's a hell of an impact," he said.

Rhode Island prosecutors say Lipton was drunk and speeding near his school, Bryant University in Smithfield, in October 2006 when he triggered a three-car collision that left 20-year-old Jade Combies hospitalized for weeks.

Sullivan, the prosecutor, said another victim of the crash gave him copies of photographs from Lipton's Facebook page that were posted after the collision. Sullivan assembled the pictures _ which were posted by someone else but accessible on Lipton's page _ into a PowerPoint presentation at sentencing.

One image shows a smiling Lipton at the Halloween party, clutching cans of the energy drink Red Bull with his arm draped around a young woman in a sorority T-shirt. Above it, Sullivan rhetorically wrote, "Remorseful?"

Superior Court Judge Daniel Procaccini said the prosecutor's slide show influenced his decision to sentence Lipton.

"I did feel that gave me some indication of how that young man was feeling a short time after a near-fatal accident, that he thought it was appropriate to joke and mock about the possibility of going to prison," the judge said in an interview.

Kevin Bristow, Lipton's attorney, said the photos didn't accurately reflect his client's character or level of remorse, and made it more likely he'd get prison over probation.

"The pictures showed a kid who didn't know what to do two weeks after this accident," Bristow said, adding that Lipton wrote apologetic letters to the victim and her family and was so upset that he left college. "He didn't know how to react."

Still, he uses the incident as an example to his own teenage children to watch what they post online.

"If it shows up under your name you own it," he said, "and you better understand that people look for that stuff."

The JATY

2008-07-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

Ya know, this isn't such a bad idea. Doubtful most Americans who'd drive drunk in the first place would own one, but that's the culture we've created here. In Korea? Maybe not so much. The skull and crossbones is a nice touch, too!

JATY DR7200: Breathalyzer and nav...all in one!

Posted Jul 16th 2008 7:02PM by Alex Nunez

This is the JATY DR7200 GPS, and it does a lot more than just tell you where you are and how to get where you're going on that 7-inch screen. You see, it's got an integrated breathalyzer, too, so it'll also tell you whether you should even be trying to get where you're going. Blow "over" and you get a standard BAC readout, a red "OVER" warning, and if that's not enough, a yellow skull and crossbones to drive home the point that, well, you really shouldn't be driving at all. In addition to all that, it supports just about every techno-acronym you can imagine (USB, MP3, DiVX, JPEG, MPEG, etc.), so if you're in no shape to drive, you can at least watch a movie on the thing while you wait it out. Want one? Just run on down to the local electronics store...in Korea.