Girlfriends Don't Let Girlfriends Get Drunk

Back in 1983 The Advertising Council and the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a campaign designed to stop the rising rates of drunk driving on the nation's highways. The tagline for this campaign was "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk". Through a barrage of television, print, and radio ads, that simple phrase became so recognizable that only someone who lived in Tibet with no television reception could say they'd never heard it. The tagline became so popular that it was used for just about anything - "Friends Don't Let Friends (insert your phrase here)" - serious or fun. So, along the same vein as that, now iconic, phrase, here's a new one for you - Girlfriends Don't Let Girlfriends Get Drunk.

Look, it's obvious that navigating the teen years means making decisions like you've never made them before. Some of these choices are going to be as simple as what to wear to the party of the year, and others are going to be as intense as how far to go with a boy. But, drinking is among the most intense, and poorly judged, decisions that young girls make so it's a good idea to stop now, before you're faced with the choice, and make a decision without your friends around, without your parents on your back, and without drugs or alcohol clouding your judgment - it's just you and the facts, babe. So, here they are...

Adults age 21 or older who had first used alcohol before age 21 were more likely than adults who had their first drink at age 21 or older to be classified with alcohol dependence or abuse (9.6% vs. 2.1%). (2005 SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health)
Twenty-eight percent (28%) of 15- to 20-year-old drivers who were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2005 had been drinking. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
It is estimated that 24,560 lives have been saved by minimum drinking age laws since 1975. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
In 2005, 39% of fatal crashes (all age groups) involved alcohol. The rate of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is more than three times higher at night than during the day (59% vs. 18%). (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
Among the 33.9% of currently sexually active high school students nationwide, 23.3% had drunk alcohol or used drugs before their last sexual intercourse. (2005 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance)
Teen binge drinking can lead to alcohol addiction and criminal activity. (The Institute of Child Health)
Teen binge drinkers are 40% more likely to use illegal drugs. (The Institute of Child Health)
Teen binge drinkers are 40% more likely to suffer from mental health problems. (The Institute of Child Health)
Teen binge drinkers are 60% more likely to be homeless. (The Institute of Child Health)

As scary as those statistics are, they are only the quantifiable results of studies that have measured the problem. As a teen, you are smack in the middle of the issue! The decisions you make for yourself can have an effect on the rest of your life!

But what about how these statistics affect your girlfriends?

You know the facts and you've made the decision for yourself not to drink, but what about your friends? What decision have they made? Have they really thought about it? Sure, you care, but what are you supposed to do?

Girlfriends Don't Let Girlfriends Get Drunk!
A good friend doesn't take chances with the lives of their girlfriends. It's that simple. If you see your friend caving in to the pressure to drink, whether it's at a party, with a group of friends, or even if she's just curious, remind her that drinking is stupid! If you can't impress upon your girlfriends that drinking can lead to a whole host of huge problems, hit her with these facts from the American Academy of Family Physicians:

Drinking, even in small amounts can:

Make you gain weight
Make you feel sick or dizzy
Give you bad breath
Make you clumsy
Slur your speech
Make your skin break out
Make you feel out of control

And, to put it as plainly as possible, people who are drunk are just dumb! They do stupid things, act like a total idiot, and completely lose their sense right and wrong. Losing the ability to think straight, even for a little while, can lead to drinking and driving, unprotected sex, and worse! Girls who get drunk get a reputation in school and among their peers as loose, ignorant, and none too bright. Sober, your girlfriend knows that that's not the reputation she wants to have. But, once she starts drinking, she might forget how important it is to keep herself in check. It's part of your job as her friend to make sure she doesn't reach that point. You'd want her to do it for you, right?

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