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Alcohol & You

Alcohol Facts

    • Blood Alcohol Level (BAC) measures the percentage of alcohol in a person's bloodstream
      • The amount you drink and the speed at which alcohol is consumed will have a huge impact on your BAC level
      • BAC = (alcohol consumed in grams) / (body weight in grams x R) x 100
        • Biological factors like a person's sex or size change the impact of each drink on a person's level of intoxication → R = 0.55 for females and 0.68 for males
    • Standard drink sizes:
      • Wine: 5oz = 148ml; alcohol by volume: 11-16%
      • Beer: 12oz = 355ml; alcohol by volume: 3-5%
      • Liquor: 1.5oz = 44ml; alcohol by volume: 40% (80 proof)
    • Water content in muscles dilutes the distribution of alcohol → greater muscle mass buffers a rapid rise in BAC
    • Drinking in an unfamiliar environment can increase your impairment (situational tolerance)
      • In a typical environment that you drink in, your body receives a cue that it will receive alcohol → tolerance goes into effect when cued
      • In an unfamiliar environment, your body does not get the cue → might feel like you drank more than you actually did

Effects of Alcohol

    • Feelings of relaxation, lower inhibitions, and sociability, followed by drowsiness and impaired judgment, speech, and coordination
    • Dizziness, slurred speech, poor balance, vomiting, blackouts, inability to walk
    • Overdose may produce slowed breathing, blue lips/fingernails, slowed heart rate, unresponsiveness, and possible death

Risk Spectrum of Intoxication

    • Low-risk signs of intoxication:
      • More outgoing than usual
      • Extra talkative
      • Yelling
      • Reduced inhibitions
    • Moderate-risk signs of intoxication:
      • Very emotional
      • Repeating stories (blackout)
      • Slurring speech
      • Stumbling
      • Vomiting
    • High-risk signs of intoxication
      • Nodding off at party (extreme drowsiness)
      • Unable to walk on own
      • Glazed eyes (unable to focus)
      • Repeated vomiting

When to Call for Help

    • Repeated vomiting
    • Incoherence
    • Unable to stand/walk
    • Glazed eyes
    • Slowed breathing
    • Blue lips/fingernails
    • Cold/clammy/pale skin
    • Unresponsive/passed out
    • Difficulty breathing
    • Physical injury
    • Weak or absent pulse

Strategies to Reduce Risk

    • Eat a meal before drinking
      • Food in your stomach can slow the absorption of alcohol
    • Pace yourself to 1 hr+ between drinks
    • Alternate with water or non-alcoholic drinks
      • Alcohol is dehydrating. Drinking water can help rehydrate + pace your drinks
    • Set a drink limit before you go out
    • Set your optimal buzz as your target level of intoxication
    • Group up - find friends who want to have a similar night as you

Blood Alcohol Concentration Charts
 

chart showing blood alcohol concentration based on number of drinks and weight