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Volume CXXXII, Number 13 |
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Drinking your life (and your body) away
JEFF BENSON, M.D.
Dear Dr. Jeff: "It seems to me that people are drinking less on campus than they used to. Do you know if that's the case?" S.B.
Dear S.B.: According to recent surveys, students have in fact reported drinking less. The trend appears to begin in high school. Last fall, 38 percent of incoming first year students reported having had 5 or more drinks in a single sitting within the previous two weeks, compared to 41 percent in the incoming class of 2005, and 44 percent from the class of 2004. The same survey found that 49 percent of incoming first years had consumed alcohol one or more times a month during the previous year, compared with 51 percent from the class of 2005, and 56 percent from the class of 2004.
Similarly, comparison of the 2000 and 2002 Spring Surveys of Students (all 4 years) found that daily binge drinking has declined from 2.2 percent to 0 percent, and more than once-a-week binge drinking from 37.7 percent to 32.6 percent.
Still, in the 2002 Survey, nearly half of all students reported feeling pressured to drink alcohol on campus, more than half reported having been negatively impacted by someone else's drinking, and more than 25 percent reported being worried about their own substance use.
Nationally, studies have shown that drinking contributes to 500,000 injuries and 1,400 deaths on college campuses each year. These are huge numbers. Meningitis, for instance, which attracts a great deal of attention as a health risk affects about 100 U.S. college students each year, and, very fortunately, kills fewer than 10.
The 1,400 deaths from 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.
Studies also show that 400,000 students each year have unprotected sex because of drinking.
Drinking contributes to 70,000 reported cases of sexual assault or date rape every year. Up to 90 percent of sexual assaults on college campuses involve the use or abuse of alcohol.
What does this all mean for each of us? I think it means first, that it is a very good thing that unsafe drinking is on the decline, and second, that if we choose to drink, then we need to drink responsibly and safely. Binge drinking (more than fives drinks in a sitting), drinking shots, and playing drinking games are all not drinking safely. To drink safely you need 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. The rate varies with weight and gender.
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 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 the following: 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.
To your health!
Jeff Benson, M.D.
Dudley Coe Health Center
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