title: Use of a breathalyzer in a local bar: A community education project.
abstract: In completing a faculty-assigned service-learning project, a group of nursing students sought to educate their peers and the public about the effects of alcohol consumption. Breathalyzer readings were obtained from 150 bar patrons and correlated with the number of drinks consumed and number of hours spent drinking. The results were used to educate bar patrons about the difference between how intoxicated they felt and their actual blood alcohol levels. The students also distributed information about substance abuse assistance and safe transportation home. This screening technique served as an application of secondary prevention principles for the nursing students. The project was considered innovative in that no similar study was found in the literature. Selected Healthy People 2010 goals were also addressed in this project.
authors.affiliation: Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL 61701, USA. ckerber@iwu.edu
authors.forename: Cindy Sullivan
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kerber
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schlenker
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood*; D002641:Chicago; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol