Seventh grade health classes learn about alcohol awareness

Amy Palfey and Jonathan Despot’s seventh grade health classes engaged in an alcohol awareness lab. The labs that the students participated in demonstrated the short term effects that alcohol has on a person’s life and were made possible from a Venture grant from the Altoona Area School District Foundation.

In this lab the students when through a series of obstacles using special goggles that show certain BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) levels. Some of the challenges the students faced were putting thread through a needle to demonstrate the fine motor skill that would not be present while intoxicated, a juggling balloon station that showed the difficulties of “juggling” family, school, friends, etc, and driving a remote controlled car through an obstacle course, all while wearing the fatal vision goggles to show the dangers of someone behind the wheel and why they should never drink and drive.

Several of the activities incorporated the use of the Fatal Vision Goggles thatrepresented various blood alcohol levels. The purchase of these goggles was made possible by the Venture Grant written by the Health staff to expand hands on experiences for the students. The health staff is attempting to give students more hands on opportunities in learning.

“Being able to to experience the effects of alcohol at this age will give the students an opportunity to see what occurs when under the influence,” Despot said.

Despot and Palfey hope that this lab will show students how much alcohol use would negatively impair even simple day to day activities and help students make positive life choices.