Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter 9 Alcohol 281 Many states follow a zero-tolerance policy for people under 21 years of age. Under this policy, young people caught driving with any level of alcohol in their system are punished. Punishment for violating a zero-tolerance policy varies from state to state. Other Types of Accidents Alcohol use is also associated with other types of accidents and injuries. Under the influence of alcohol, people experience high rates of the following: • falls • burns • homicides • suicides • unintentional firearm injuries • electrical shocks • incidents of near drowning • accidental death while bicycling or swimming CASE STUDY CASE STUDY Keisha’s Babysitting Conundrum Keisha, who is in the eighth grade, frequently babysits for the Patel family. Vera and Toshiro Patel are fun little kids with whom Keisha enjoys spending time. Babysitting is a perfect job for Keisha. The Patels live a half mile down the street from Keisha’s family. When Keisha babysits during the day, she often rides her bike to and from the Patel’s house. When Keisha babysits at night, her parents drop her off and the Patel parents bring her home. Keisha has babysat for the Patels many times without any problems. One evening, however, the Patel parents went to a fancy party. Everything had gone as planned that evening. The kids ate dinner, played, and went to bed without any arguments. Once the kids were asleep, Keisha spent time watching TV, doing a little bit of cleaning up, and periodically checking on the kids. Mr. and Mrs. Patel returned home around midnight as Keisha expected. What she did not expect was for them both to have been drinking. Keisha was not sure how drunk Mr. Patel was, but he stumbled when he walked into the house. He was also slow to respond to any of her questions. Mrs. Patel almost immediately fell asleep on the couch. Keisha was uncomfortable getting into a car with Mr. Patel driving, but he was so nice and she did not know how to refuse. Keisha decided that it was only a couple of blocks to her house, so she got into the car with Mr. Patel. Thinking Critically 1. Why was Keisha uncomfortable in this situation? What could go wrong on the car ride to her house? Who could get hurt? 2. What other options does Keisha have in this situation? How do you think she would feel about these alternative solutions? 3. How might refusing a ride from Mr. Patel aff ect her relationship with him? Do you think it would be worth it? 4. If you were in a situation like Keisha, what would you do? iStock.com/praetorianphotocom/praetorianphoto iStock