Levels of Intoxication
The maximum BAC a person 21+ can have when operating a vehicle?
A BAC of .08, which is roughly two drinks for a biological female and three drinks for a biological male within one hour
T/F: Eating food before you consume alcohol slows down the absorption process
True in many cases
T/F: Alcohol is a stimulant
False - Alcohol is a depressant
T/F: People who are fatigued/stressed become intoxicated more quickly than people who are relaxed.
True - Forms of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion do increase alcohol's effects on the body
Define medical amnesty
Students who receive medical attention due to alcohol and/or drug usage will have to meet with staff, but will have no disciplinary record. Students under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs who seek help for others will have no disciplinary case.
The time it takes for your body to metabolize 1 standard drink
One hour
T/F: Alcohol is a diuretic (causes increased passing of urine)
True - When people drink they need to use the bathroom a lot more. This also increases your risk of dehydration.
The standard drink pours (in oz) of liquor, wine, and a beer
1.5 oz of 40% ABV liquor, 5 oz of 12% ABV wine, 12 oz of 5% ABV beer
Do ethnicity and race have an effect on a person’s alcohol tolerance?
Yes
Does medical amnesty apply off-campus
Yes! It applies everywhere!
Three signs of alcohol poisoning
Cold, blue/pale lips, difficulty standing, irregular/slow pulse, mental confusion, vomiting, unconscious, slow breathing, cannot be woken up
T/F: Eating food before you consume alcohol lowers your BAC
False - while it may affect absorption in the body, you are still consuming the same amount of alcohol
T/F: Carbonated alcoholic drinks are absorbed quicker in your body
True - The carbonation builds pressure in the stomach and small intestine, forcing it to absorb quicker in the bloodstream.
Is gender a factor of BAC?
Yes! Women generally reach higher BACs than men because they have a higher percentage of body fat and lower percentage of water compared to men
Uh-oh! You’re in a campus bush and an RA finds you. Does medical amnesty still apply?
No - The point of medical amnesty is to have you call for help before a situation gets out of hand.
The BAC range of “The Green Zone”
BAC less than 0.06; talk louder or faster, act bolder than usual, mild sense of euphoria
T/F: The best food to eat before your drink is something relatively high in carbs and low fat/protein.
False: The best type of food to eat are high fat, greasy foods such as pizza and chicken wings because they are harder to digest so they digest slower
T/F: Some things to help a person sober up quicker are drinking a coffee/other caffeine, or taking a cold shower
False - Time is the ONLY THING that will sober you up.
T/F: A person who is more muscular will get drunk faster than a person who has more body fat
False - A person with more body fat will get drunk quicker because fat doesn’t absorb blood, alcohol, or water - while muscle does
Does alcohol affect your non-REM sleep or REM sleep?
While alcohol may help you fall asleep, it disrupts your sleep cycle. This mainly affects your REM sleep and often causes you to wake up in the middle of the night, as well as cause nightmares. More than 2 drinks for biological males and more than 1 drink for biological females decreases sleep quality by 39%.
The amount of drinks per time period that is considered binge drinking for both men and women
Binge drinking is the consumption of 4 or more drinks in 2 hours for biological females and 5 or more drinks in 2 hours for biological males.
Foods high in simple sugars decrease rate of intoxication
Increase - since simple sugars are digested so quickly in the body, they speed up that process for alcohol as well
T/F: BAC can increase after a person has stopped drinking
True - Since your body only metabolizes at the rate of one standard drink per hour, if you consume more than the rate at which your body can metabolize it, you can continue to get more drunk even after you stop drinking.
T/F: Colder temperatures speed up alcohol absorption
False - Warmer temperatures do though
You hop out of an Uber and it’s freezing outside, but don’t worry, you have your liquor coat! Or do you? Does alcohol raise or lower your body temperature?
Alcohol dilates the small blood vessels on the skin. Although your body is getting cooler, you feel like you're getting warmer.