Boston University Student Health Services

As people drink, alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream- resulting in Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). BAC is the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream and is calculated by how many milligrams of alcohol are present per 100 milliliters of blood.

What affects BAC?
Size:  Smaller people are generally affected more quickly than larger people.
Gender:  Women are generally smaller and tend to have more body fat than men so their BAC tends to rise more quickly than that of a male.
Food: A full stomach slows the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.
Strength of Drink: Drinks can have different effects based on their composition.  Drinks that are straight up hit the bloodstream faster than drinks that are diluted by water. Sodas and carbonated mixers can actually speed up the absorption rate.
Rate of Consumption:  Gulping or chugging will increase the amount of alcohol taken into the system.
Mood:  Someone who is depressed or emotionally or physically stressed will be affected more quickly by alcohol.
Menstruation: Women who have their period will absorb alcohol more quickly.
Drug Use:  Legal or illegal drugs can speed up the effects of alcohol and have an unpredictable outcome. Even some over the counter medications can do this-so you should always check with a doctor or pharmacist before mixing.

Check out the BAC calculator

Alcohol affects parts of your brain including the Hippocampus-which is the center for memory & learning- and the Pre-frontal area- which deals with adult personality & behavioral development.

Compared to non-drinkers, adolescent drinkers have smaller hippocampi and poorer brain development, leading to problems with memory, learning, reasoning and decision-making abilities. The brain continues to develop until age 24-25, so what you do even after 18 can have a major effect on your brain development.

Years of binge drinking can cause impairments to memory, abstract thinking, and problem solving, and a decrease in concentration.

It is the inattention to How Much and How Quickly you are drinking that gets you into trouble!

• Your body can only metabolize 1 drink per hour.
• Binge drinking is considered 4+ drinks for women and 5+ drinks for men in a 2 hour sitting.
• The red cups (yeah, they come in other colors, too) are 18 oz if name brand and 16 oz. if generic brand. That means that if you fill a brand name cup with beer you are actually drinking a beer and a half!
• The folks who make the brand name red cup were nice enough to denote on their cup where one shot of liquor (1.5 oz) pours to…the bottom rim!
• A pint of beer (usual glass size at a bar) is 16 oz…that is 1 + 1/3 beers.
• Typically speaking, Vodka has 40% alcohol by volume or 80 Proof; Gin is 85 Proof, Rum and Tequila are 90 Proof and Whiskey is 100 proof…keep this in mind when pouring!
• There are 39 shots in a handle of 80 proof liquor.
• There are 17 shots in a Fifth (or standard) bottle of 80 proof liquor and 11 shots in a pint.

Sometimes one night of ‘fun’ has consequences that last longer than we intend.

Excessive drinking during college may not seem like a big deal but many students find it difficult to “outgrow” their college drinking behavior even after they graduate.

Long-term effects of excessive drinking include liver and heart disease, memory impairment in addition to the real-life consequences we experience from our ‘drunken’ behavior.

The Hangover…
Some symptoms of a ‘hangover’ are a headache-caused by the alcohol making blood vessels expand, feeling thirsty- due to dehydration and increased urination when drinking, experiencing nausea or vomiting, feeling lightheaded or dizzy, impaired attention and concentration, and a disrupted sleep cycle.

What are blackouts?
Blackouts are periods of memory loss. One may not remember a few minutes of the night, a conversation or have lost hours of time. Entire events like driving or having sex may be forgotten!

This is not a loss of consciousness or passing out.

Blackouts are caused by high levels of alcohol in the body that prevent the brain from forming memories. A blackout may not be apparent to others and the person may engage in conversation and activities as if being mentally present. However, the information may not be recalled later on.

The reality is that, we are all responsible for our actions, whether we remember them or not.

It is possible to overdose! Do you know what the warning signs include?

Some signs of alcohol overdose include:

• Cold, pale, or bluish skin.
• Irregular Breathing.
• No Pain Response - there is no response to a shoulder pinch.
• Unconsciousness - you can’t wake the person.     
• If any of these conditions exist, seek medical attention immediately or contact a university official!

 
If you’re wondering whether you should call for help, then YOU SHOULD CALL FOR HELP.

DO Not:

• Induce vomiting
• Walk, run, or exercise the person
• Administer anything orally
• Give the person a cold shower
• LEAVE THEM ALONE TO “SLEEP IT OFF”

Remember: Only Time Can Sober a Person Up!

"Most college students drink a lot."  Actually the next time you’re at a party, look around the room and you will realize that the majority of people are not drinking heavily.  Do you really want to be the person who is out of control, can’t remember the night, or is the topic of conversation the next day?

"My alcohol use does not affect others."  When you’re drunk you affect everyone around you, from your friends who have to take care of and worry about you, to the T driver helping you get home.  When you drink too much you can lose the ability to take care of yourself and it becomes the responsibility and business of others.  This is called the Secondhand Effects of Alcohol—even if you’re not the one consuming alcohol you are still affected by those around you that do!  

"There is nothing else to do in college but party." Be adventurous and try out some on campus clubs, sports, plays, concerts and events.  Also, you are living in Boston and have access to everything the city has to offer.

"I drink to be social." Drinking socially is much different than binge drinking.  Next time you decide to drink try paying attention to how much you are drinking and how it is affecting you. We bet that you can have just as much fun with a few drinks less…and this will help to decrease the negative alcohol-related consequences you experience, too!

“I can sober up quickly if I have to.”  It takes about 3 hours to eliminate the alcohol content of two drinks, depending on your weight. Nothing can speed up this process-just time!

“Having a higher tolerance is a good thing.”   If you have to drink increasingly larger amounts of alcohol to feel the same effect you are developing a tolerance. Tolerance is actually a warning sign that you may be developing a more serious problem with alcohol.

…For more myths check out College Drinking Alcohol Myths