OC HIGH / STUDENT NEWS & VIEWS : SOBERING THOUGHT : Drinking: Alcohol affects the brain, even if you are under 21--and it’s not only illegal, it’s deadly. If you or someone you know drinks, it’s important to do something about it.

It’s the same old, too-familiar scene. You’re at a party with friends to hang out and have a good time. But after a while the party gets out of hand. People are drinking--and getting drunk.

Too often, teens rely on alcohol to have a good time. But the repercussions, both immediate and long-term, are serious.

The bottom line is it’s illegal for anyone under 21 to drink alcohol. And it’s not legal for anyone to give alcohol to underage teens.

When you are intoxicated, you don’t think clearly. Alcohol affects the brain’s control centers, and usual restraint or self-control often goes out the window, leading to things you may regret when sober.

Drinking can weaken a resolve not to experiment with drugs. It can lead to having sex with someone you don’t know or when you are not prepared for it. It could cause you to take advantage of someone or allow someone else to take advantage of you.

And, in what often results in a deadly consequence, alcohol severely impairs the ability to drive. That fact has cost the lives of many teens and others who ended up in their way.

Forty percent of all 15- to 20-year-old drivers who died in automobile accidents in 1991 tested positive for alcohol, according to National Transportation Safety Board figures. If you don’t think these things could happen to you or to a friend, think again.

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What can you do if a friend has had too much to drink? How can you handle the situation?

“It doesn’t help to talk to a person when they are intoxicated. You have to talk to them the next day, when they can clearly understand what you are saying,” said Mike Wallens, chaplain and peer-counseling adviser at St. Margaret’s School in San Juan Capistrano.

If you get into a sticky situation with a friend who has had too much to drink, Wallens said, do whatever it takes not to let them hurt themselves or anyone else. Provide a safe place for them to sleep it off. The next day, confront the person. Tell the friend you care, that you are worried about his or her drinking.

If drinking appears to be habit--for you or a friend--it’s important to get help. Alcoholism affects teens as well as adults. Prolonged drinking can cause permanent mental impairment, gaps in memory, violent trembling and damage to the liver, among other things.

There are places to call for help or referrals: Alcoholics Anonymous, (714) 556-4555; California Youth Crisis Line, (800) 843-5200; Youth Services Assistance, (714) 494-4311.

“The best advice is, if you are at a party, and there is alcohol, you should leave,” said a spokeswoman with Alcoholics Anonymous, which has a number of Orange County teens among its members.

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If students drinking and driving is a problem at your school, consider setting up a Safe Rides program. Student volunteers staff the phones to provide confidential, free rides to anyone who needs one. Information on setting up a Safe Rides program is available by calling (714) 546-4990.

The intoxicated aren’t the only ones who can use Safe Rides. If you find yourself stranded because your date or friend is drunk, you can get a ride home for yourself.

If a friend has a drinking problem, remember to be a friend. His or her life could be in your hands.

HOW TO DEAL WITH A FRIEND WHO DRINKS

* At a party where people are drinking, be smart and stay sober.

* If you realize your friend is intoxicated, make sure he or she doesn’t drive or ride with anyone else who’s been drinking. You can call a program such as Safe Rides or a parent to take him or her home.

* Stay with your friend who is intoxicated until help has arrived, making sure no harm comes to him or her.

* Be aware that if someone who is drinking becomes very ill or has been mixing alcohol with medication or drugs, he or she may need immediate medical attention.

* Talk to your friend the next day, when he or she is sober and can clearly understand what you are saying. Trying to talk to them while they are intoxicated only confuses them.

NEW LAW

Starting Jan. 1, California motorists under age 21 who drive after drinking even small amounts of alcohol could lose their driver licenses.

The law calls for the automatic suspension of the license of any 16- or 17-year-old who has a blood-alcohol content of 0.01% or higher (the cutoff is now 0.05%) and license suspension for 18-, 19- and 20-year-old drivers who have a blood-alcohol content of 0.05% or higher.

The legal limit for adults is 0.08%.

DRINKING STATISTICS

The number of California youth killed in alcohol-related driving accidents in 1992:

AGE / DEATHS

15: 15

16: 23

17: 29

18: 51

19: 70

23 (highest of any age): 76

Total deaths in 1992 in California in alcohol-related driving accidents: 1,832

Source: California Highway Patrol

* 11 million U.S. students in grades 7-12 drink, and 8 million drink as often as weekly.

* 40.1% of all 15- to 20-year-old drivers who died in auto accidents in 1991 tested positive for alcohol.

* Every day, more than 1,000 youngsters age 10 to 14 start drinking alcohol.

Sources: National Transportation Safety Board; Congressional Budget Office