Alcohol

Despite the legal drinking age of 21, many people have already used alcohol by the time they get to college. For others, college may be their first exposure. Keep in mind however, that drinking alcohol is not a right of passage. You don’t have to drink. Drinking alcohol can be riddled with some potentially serious consequences.

Recognizing the reality that many college students do drink alcohol, this information in provided in the spirit of prevention and minimizing risk. So, if you decide to drink, here are some things you need to know.

FACTS:

• People metabolize alcohol differently and some are more sensitive to the effects (NIAAA, 1996, 1997a
  
• Mixing alcohol with street drugs, prescription medications or over the counter medications can lead to serious medical reactions (Clancy, 1998; NIAAA, 1996)
  
• Drinking too much alcohol in a short period of time can lead to toxic blood levels of alcohol and result in coma, and death (Clancy, 1998)
  
• Drinking alcohol may trigger or worsen pre-existing medical problems
  
• Alcohol alters judgment and can lead to poor decisions, and behaviors that are at the very least embarrassing, but often risky with the potential for the devastating consequences of death, injury, coercive sex, pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease or emotional turmoil (NIAAA, 1995, 1997b)
  
• Alcohol impairs critical thinking and physical response skills, which is a poor combination with driving (NIAAA, 1996)
  
• Illegal blood alcohol concentration for drivers under 21 is at 0.02 percent in many states (NIAAA, 1996)
  
• Although illegal blood alcohol concentrations for drivers 21 and older are 0.08 or 0.10 percent (depending upon the state), skill impairment occurs at much lower levels (NIAAA, 1996):
  
• Blood alcohol concentrations of 0.02 percent or less can affect the ability to sort visual input simultaneously from two or more.
  
• Blood alcohol concentrations of 0.05 percent or more affect eye motion, glare resistance, visual perception, reaction time, some steering tasks, processing of information and other psychomotor function.
  
• Alcohol impairment charts consider the number of drinks over time and body weight to estimate the chances of driving under the influence (DUI). Chart.
  
• Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach (no recent food) speeds up the absorption of alcohol, and since metabolism is slower, blood alcohol levels rise more quickly and as do the effects (NIAAA, 1997a)
  
• Drinking alcohol on a full stomach (recent food) delays the absorption of alcohol allowing more time for metabolism and slowing the effects (NIAAA, 1997a)
  
• Binge drinking (4-5 drinks during a drinking event) has become a popular college sport, but can lead to consuming too much alcohol within too short of time to safely metabolize (NIAAA, 1995)
  
• Women metabolize alcohol differently then men, and can get intoxicated more rapidly (NIAAA, 1996, 1997a)
  
• Drinking alcohol leads to an initial euphoria or “buzz,” but if consumed too rapidly to metabolize, the effects are cumulative and result in major motor and cognitive impairment (NIAAA, 1997a). Nausea, headache, vomiting and “passing out” are common effects of drinking too much alcohol
  
• Residual effects from drinking too much alcohol can last 24 hours or more and include nausea, headache, lightheadness and poor sleep patterns. This can affect clear thinking and performance (Swift and Davidson, 1998) (translation: not a good idea before a major test or paper is due)
  
• While the size of the drink may vary, the alcohol content is equivalent among following alcoholic beverages: 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof hard liquor which includes vodka, whisky, gin, scotch, tequila, and rum (NIAAA, 1997a)

TIPS FOR SAFER DRINKING*

*Exceptions:

• Do not mix alcohol with street drugs, prescription drugs or over the counter medications
• Don’t drink alcohol if your health care provider has advised against it
• Don’t drink if pregnant
  • Test your reaction to alcohol by drinking small amounts slowly in a safe environment
    
  • Pace your intake of alcoholic beverages based upon the California Alcohol Impairment Chart
    
  • Make a plan with friends
    
  • Decide who will drive and not drink
    
  • Decide who will collect car keys and judge who is capable of driving
    
  • Commit to watching out for each other
    
  • Anticipate a back up plan for getting home
    
  • Control the environment in the car. Open alcoholic beverages increases the non-drinking driver’s liability and can result in the loss of a drivers license
    
  • Avoid leaving a drink unattended at a party to minimize the possibility of tampering (adding unwanted drugs)
    
  • Avoid driving if you have been drinking
    
  • Explore alternative transportation options such as a college safe ride program
    
  • Avoid getting into a car with a driver that has been drinking
    
  • Monitor your drinking. Alcohol can be addictive and interfere with daily function. Keep in mind that alcoholism does run in families (NIAAA, 1997b)
    
  • Contact the college health care center, a community resource or on-line resource for more information if concerned about your drinking

Resources:

SAMSHA Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator
http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/

The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
http://www.health.org/links/

Alcoholics Anonymous
www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Al-Anon/Alateen
www.al-anon.org

References:

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Drinking and driving. Alcohol Alert, January 1996, No. 31PH362, 1-5

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol metabolism. Alcohol Alert, January 1997a, No. 35PH371, 1-6.

Clancy, Gerard. Alcohol related emergencies. Emergency Psychiatry Service Handbook, The University of Iowa, 1997-2001, www.vnh.org/EmergPsychHB/TOC.html.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. College students and drinking. Alcohol Alert, July 1995, No. 29PH357, 1-7.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Youth drinking: Risk factors and consequences. Alcohol Alert, July 1997b, No. 37, 1-7.

Swift, Robert and Davidson, Dena. Alcohol hangover. Alcohol Health and Research World, 1998, 22:1, 1998, 54-60.