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Volume CXXXI, Number 21 |
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College drinking: Where is your BAC?
JEFF BENSON, M.D.
Dear Dr. Jeff: Have you read the recent reports about 1,400 college student deaths from drinking? S.B.
Dear S.B.: I have read the report, and was very impressed by the statistics
cited.
The study, by the federally supported Task Force on College Drinking,
demonstrated why drinking by college students, especially binge drinking,
should be viewed as a major public health concern. The study showed that
drinking contributes to 500,000 injuries and 1,400 deaths nationally on
college campuses each year. Those are huge numbers. Meningitis, for instance,
which attracts a great deal of attention as a student health risk, affects
about 100 college students nationally each year, and, very fortunately,
kills fewer than 10.
The 1,400 deaths are mainly caused by motor vehicle accidents. A small
number are due to falls and drownings. Homicides and suicides are not
included, even if alcohol-related.
The study reported that 400,000 students each year have unprotected sex
because of drinking.
It also found that drinking contributes to 70,000 reported cases of sexual
assault or date rape. Other studies have demonstrated that up to 90 percent
of sexual assaults on college campuses involve the use or abuse of alcohol.
As staggering as these numbers are, they may also seem difficult to relate
to our own individual experiences and behaviors. Statistics are hard to
apply to individuals. Yet, these data represent a summary of a very large
number of actual individual experiences and behaviors, and in the aggregate,
raise very challenging concerns about the safety of drinking on college
campuses.
Surveys over the last few years here at Bowdoin have certainly suggested
that we have reason to be concerned about our own backyard. Nearly 50
percent of Bowdoin students have reported thinking they have at least
5 friends on campus who need help because of alcohol. One-third of Bowdoin
students who drink have reported blacking out from drinking. One-third
of Bowdoin students who drink have reported that in the recent past, they
had been hurt, embarrassed, intimidated or humiliated by someone who was
drinking.
What does this all mean for each of us? I think it means that if we choose
to drink then we need to drink responsibly and safely. If you don't know
how to drink safely, then there are a few things you need to learn. Drinking
shots, playing drinking games, and "binge drinking" (more than
fives drinks in a sitting) are all not drinking safely. One key to understanding
what constitutes safe drinking is to understand something about alcohol
metabolism and blood alcohol content ("BAC").
The alcohol content of one shot of 80 proof liquor is the same as that
of a 12 ounce bottle of beer, and the same as that of a 5 ounce glass
of wine. On average, our bodies need about one hour to metabolize each
drink.
Take a look at the BAC tables. Let's say you're a 140 pound woman. If
you drink 2 beers over 2 hours, you'll raise your BAC to 0.045, and you'll
likely experience relatively mild effects on your higher functions. If
you drink 4 beers over 2 hours, you'll end up with a BAC of 0.115. That
might leave you in a stage of "Euphoria," (see chart ) or, more
likely, depending on your own particular metabolism and neurophysiology,
in the more compromised state of "Excitement." "Excitement,"
here, by the way, is only meant neurologically. When you're "neurologically
excited," you become uncoordinated, disoriented, and lose your ability
to think critically, to react quickly, and to remember what's happening
to you.
Now if you do shots, say 8 shots, over those same 2 hours, you'll end
up with a BAC of 0.245, which would definitely launch you into a state
of "Confusion," and probably bring you close to "Stupor."
Only 2 additional shots, however, over that same period of time, might
put you into a coma.
What's the bottom line? If you're going to drink, drink safely and responsibly.
Know your "BAC limits," and pace yourself appropriately. A good
rule of thumb is: no more than one drink per hour, and no more than 3
drinks per night. Don't drink alone, watch out for each other, and whatever
else you do, don't drink and drive.
It's Sexual Assault Awareness Week. And this weekend, all House parties
are alcohol-free. It's a good time to reflect on the risks of unsafe drinking,
and to consider some responsible alternatives.
To your health!
Jeff Benson, M.D.
Dudley Coe Health Center