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It is no secret that alcohol and certain activities don’t mix such as operating heavy machinery, swimming and driving. Alcohol’s immediate side effects such as delayed reaction times, impaired coordination and loss of critical judgement far too often lead to injuries and even fatalities.

Over 12% of trauma patients tested for alcohol at UNC Medical Center from 2019-2020 had alcohol in their system at the time of their injury, with 25% of patients ages 16 to 21 testing positive. The percentages are likely even higher since more than half of the patients were not tested for alcohol. Orange County residents under the influence of alcohol have sustained traumatic injuries from burns, falls, assaults, stabbings and wrecks.

However, despite the known effects of alcohol and the injuries that result, it is not often viewed as a dangerous substance. Alcohol is the most frequently used drug and, as a result, has become a normalized aspect of daily life for many. But the reality is that more teens die as a result of alcohol use than all other illicit drugs combined.

On average, youth try alcohol for the first time at 13, when they are in middle school. The vast majority of North Carolina’s youth — 94% — say underage drinking is a problem, according to Talk It Out NC. The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that among high school students in North Carolina, 24% drank alcohol in the past 30 days and 13% binge drank.

While not everyone who drinks does so at heavy levels, studies show underage drinkers are more likely to engage in binge drinking, which involves having four or more drinks at a time.

Underage drinking, especially binge drinking, is harmful on the brain’s development and can lead to consequences such as blackouts, unplanned and unwanted sexual activity, fights, accidents and driving while intoxicated. The immediate effects of alcohol are not the only concern for youth since research shows that youth drinking puts individuals at three times the risk for alcohol-related injuries throughout their lifespan.

North Carolina loses at least one person per week due to underage drinking.

Josh Helm, an 18-year-old freshman at UNC Charlotte from Hillsborough, died from underage drinking in 2014. His mother, Vicki Helm, said she learned her son spent the day drinking with a friend in his dorm and ultimately fell out his seventh-floor window to his death.

She said his binge drinking left him incapacitated where he was no longer capable of seeing what was dangerous. Binge drinking is not uncommon, as 1 in 6 teens binge drinks, according to Talk It Out NC.

Helm said the current drinking culture of people overconsuming and becoming blackout drunk is troubling and tempts fate every time they do so.

“All the kids that come to the University of Chapel Hill or Charlotte or State, they have big dreams. And yet, drinking can take it all away,” Helm said.

In the aftermath of her son’s death, Helm said she nor her son were prepared for the drinking culture he would be surrounded by.

With her younger son headed to college shortly after, she said she navigated conversations about drinking differently. Instead of saying “Just don’t drink,” she turned to providing scenarios and evidence of what alcohol does to your body.

Helm emphasized the importance of parents and children discussing drinking openly and urged parents to initiate the conversation at an early age. While she said children may be reluctant to listen, short and frequent discussions can have an impact on your child’s decisions about alcohol.

In fact, 84% of middle school students surveyed said they felt parents talking with them more about alcohol would help stop underage drinking, according to Talk It Up NC.

But Helm doesn’t want conversations about alcohol to end once a child reaches the legal drinking age. She said ongoing conversations about drinking habits between people of all ages is important because it’s impossible to know when drinking may become a problem. However, individuals who start drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder.

Regardless of age, alcohol consumption can have physical, emotional, financial — even fatal — consequences.

“Each person has to see themselves as my son, and they have to see me as their mom,” Helm said. 

It’s the harsh reality of loss she wants people to reckon with so behaviors and understandings shift from alcohol as a means to have fun and relax to a serious substance that could cost you your life.

The following column was published in print in News of Orange County. It appeared in Orange Partnership for Drug & Alcohol Free Youth’s monthly column “Talk it UP!”  

Story written by Rachel Crumpler, UNC Tar Heel Trauma Program’s communications intern.

Teenagers are known to be greater risk-takers and believe they are invincible. Some teens may experiment with alcohol and drugs recreationally or use them to self-medicate. But all drug and alcohol misuse has the potential of becoming dangerous and deadly from overdose. Even if a teen won’t be using themself, they will likely be around a friend who is, be a bystander, or see someone post about it on social media. With the prevalence of substance misuse and the recent rise in overdoses, it is crucial to know about the Good Samaritan Law. 

Under North Carolina’s Good Samaritan Law enacted in 2013, a person can seek medical assistance by contacting 911, a police officer, or EMS for themself or someone else experiencing a drug overdose without fear of prosecution for the following:

• Underage possession or consumption of alcohol
• Possession of small amounts of drugs
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Violating conditions of probation, parole or post-release

Currently, the law requires the caller to provide his or her name to law enforcement or EMS to qualify for legal protection. While it may feel uncomfortable to share your name, you will not get in trouble and it is far more important to help the person in need. 

“In an overdose situation, minutes count,” Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said. “We do not want someone to delay calling for help out of fear of legal action. The Good Samaritan Law addresses this.” 

Fear of getting in trouble with law enforcement or parents is what deters people from taking action and calling for help. Mary O’Donnell and Julie Boone Cummins know this all too well. Both mothers lost their sons, Sean O’Donnell and Boone Cummins, in the summer of 2017. They believe it’s possible their sons would still be alive if their friends knew about the law and sought help. 

Sean died June 4, 2017. He was out drinking at Sugar Lake in Chatham County with friends who at some point left as he passed out. Alone at the quarry, he fell into the water and drowned. 

Boone died July 19, 2017. Friends dropped him off by the quarry after he had taken high doses of Xanax. They thought he would be fine, not realizing the dangers of the drug. As he was at the quarry alone, he sent texts and social media calls for others to join him to memorialize Sean, his best friend. Cummins said she believes Boone rolled into the water and drowned due to his inability to swim in his compromised condition. 

“There were so many points during that night and so many different people who could have called,” Cummins said. 

In honor of their sons, both families dedicated themselves to raising awareness about the Good Samaritan Law. In sharing what happened to their sons, they have attached faces and names to the law in a way they hope helps kids remember.

While awareness of the Good Samaritan Law has improved since 2017 in part due to the two families’ advocacy and their talks at area high schools and sororities and fraternities, they still think more needs to be done. 

O’Donnell said she believes education on the Good Samaritan Law should begin in middle school so teens are informed prior to the peak time of experimentation in high school and college. After first learning of the law, she said there needs to be continued, periodic education in order for teens to absorb the information.

When employed, the Good Samaritan Law is powerful and can save lives. But people first have to know about it. Familiarize yourself with the law and tell others about it. 

“You will not be held accountable if you call for yourself or someone else in a medical crisis,” Sheriff Blackwood said. “We are not just about enforcing laws, we are also about saving lives.” 

If there is an overdose situation, make the 911 call. As both mothers say, “It’s just a no-brainer.”

The following column was published in print in News of Orange County. It appeared in Orange Partnership for Drug & Alcohol Free Youth’s monthly column “Talk it UP!”  

Story written by Rachel Crumpler, UNC Tar Heel Trauma Program’s communications intern.

Operation Medicine Drop is a free drug take-back program that provides an opportunity for community members to dispose of expired or no longer needed over-the-counter and prescription medications in a safe and secure way. Since the first take-back event in North Carolina in 2010, Operation Medicine Drop has collected more than 232 million pills and helped stop prescription drugs from falling into the wrong hands. Last year, Operation Medicine Drop collected and disposed of 32 million pills across North Carolina, saving countless lives.

Medications not properly disposed of may end up in the wrong hands or contaminate the water supply, so please take advantage of upcoming Operation Medicine Drop events.

Here’s a list of events:

• March 25^th from 10am – 1pm at the Seymour Center of Chapel Hill with Orange County Department of Aging and Chapel Hill Police Department
• March 27^th from 10 am – 12pm at Harris Teeter in Carrboro (310 N Greensboro St) with Carrboro Police Department
• March 27^th from 9:30am – 12:30pm at Bray Park (200 Bray Park Complex Dr) with Chatham County Sheriff’s Office during Siler City’s Easter Egg Roll-Thru
• March 27^th from 2pm – 4pm at Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center with Chatham County Sheriff’s Office during Easter Egg Drive-Thru
• April 22^nd from 10 am – 12pm at Efland-Cheeks Community Center, the Passmore Center, and Cedar Grove Community Center

Bring any unused or expired medications to the events so they are properly disposed of.

While it may not seem like a big deal to have medications lying around in the home, it could easily lead down a tragic path of addiction or unintentional poisonings.

Take the simple step of disposing of medications!

UNC Trauma Center’s newest podcast episode of Trauma Talk is on booster seat safety with Bevan Kirley, a senior research associate at the UNC Highway Safety Research Center. In the episode, Bevan stresses the importance of booster seat use, offers tips on proper usage, and shares common mistakes parents and caregivers make.

Booster seats play a critical role in keeping kids safe, and kids probably need booster seats longer than you think.” -Bevan Kirley

The UNC Trauma Center and the UNC Highway Safety Research Center hope the information shared in the episode will help combat the lack of booster seat use in the community.

Listen to the podcast here.