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Table of Contents

Introduction to the Zone
What is a drink?
The 013 Party Rule: Know it, Use it
Drinking and women
Drinking and men
Do you have a drinking problem?
What to say if someone is trying to force you to take a drink or play a drinking game
Here’s the Fine Line Between Just Right and Trashed
Illinois Social Host Law
101 Ways to Have Fun without Drinking
I Don’t Drink Because…
How to Become a Responsible Drinker
Signs of Alcohol Poisoning and what to do

Coming Soon:

Partying safely, including recipes for alcohol free drinks
Gross Out Facts about Drinking
Links to national and local student orgs that practice abstinence or safe drinking
UIC AOD policy

Introducing the Zone

Welcome to your Beer Free Zone! This is your place to learn how to have fun and stay safe whenever alcohol is involved, whether you drink or not. If you decide you don’t want to drink, this is also the place for you. The Zone gives you ideas on how to have fun without drinking and how to manage peer pressure to drink. Explore all the different links here. They’ll give you almost everything you need to be smart about how you party!

What is the standard?

A Standard drink is:

n One 12-ounce bottle of beer* or wine cooler (5 percent alcohol or less)

n One 5-ounce glass of wine (9 – 14 percent alcohol)

n 1.5-ounces of distilled spirits (40 percent alcohol or more)

* Notes of caution:

v Different beers have different alcohol content. Malt liquor has higher alcohol content than most other brewed beverages.

v Plastic cups, which are often used to serve alcohol in at parties, are often 16oz cups – 1½ standard drinks

v 5-ounces of wine is about half a wine glass – a full glass is more than one standard drink

v Many mixed drinks have more than one type of alcohol in them – for example, long island iced tea is made up of 4 or 5 different alcohol shots – which means one such drink is really 4-5 standard drinks of alcohol

A standard rule for “safe” drinking is

n one drink or less a day for women

n no more than two drinks a day for men

The standard rate at which alcohol metabolizes is

n One third of an ounce of pure ethanol an hour

What is binge drinking?

n Consuming five or more drinks in a row for males and four or more in a row for females

n Frequent binge drinkers were eight times more likely than non-binge drinkers to miss a class, fall behind in schoolwork, get hurt or injured, and damage property

n In a national study, 91 percent of women and 78 percent of the men who were frequent binge drinkers considered themselves to be moderate or light drinkers

Past Month Alcohol Use (Purple) by Sex vs. Binge Alcohol Use among Full-Time College Students (Orange) by Sex vs. Heavy Alcohol Use among Full-Time College Students by Sex Heavy (Blue)

Relationship between binge alcohol drinking and suicide deaths by state.

Sources:

v Swivel Preview; http://www.swivel.com/graphs/show/22995345

v US Department of Health and Human Services. Alcohol and Drug Information http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/rpo995/

v www.revoluntionhealth.com)

The 013 Party Rule: Know it, Use it

When you’re hanging out with friends just remember…..

0 is your number if you’re driving, under 21, or pregnant

1 drink per hour is your number for staying in control

3 drinks per night/outing is your number for saying “no more”

Following the “013” rule will help to save your butt! How? Read the following table.

Do this ….

to avoid this ….

and get this….

0 drinks:

               Pregnant



                Under 21

                 Driving



·         Fetal alcohol syndrome

·         Can’t drive for 6 months

·         $500 or more fine

·         Police record

·         UIC sanctions



·         Jail time

·         Up to $2500 fine

·         Loss of driver’s license

·         Injure/kill yourself or someone else

·         Have a healthy baby

·         Keep driving privilege

·         Keep $$$ in your pocket

·         Clean record

·         Stay out of jail

·         Keep $$$ in your pocket

·         Save lives

1 drink per hour

·         Impaired judgment

·         Do something you later regret

·         Stay in control

·         Sound judgment

·         No regrets

No more than 3 drinks per outing/night

·         Pass out / Black out

·         Get in a fight

·         Alcohol poisoning

·         Have unwanted / unprotected sex

·         Remember what you did

·         No time in the hospital

·         No STI’s

·         No unwanted pregnancy

Drinking and Women

Okay ladies, it’s time for some straight talk. We know that partying with the guys is a way to get their attention, have fun, and show them that we can match them drink for drink

I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but drinking while female has many drawbacks. If you drink moderately, meaning one drink per hour and/or no more then one drink per day, then you’re okay.

But when you’re drinking too much in a short period of time or drinking too much every day it catches up with you in a bad way. In fact, in some areas of your life and health, drinking can hit women harder then men. For example, having more than 2 or more drinks a day has been connected to increased risk for breast cancer. Drinking too much alcohol can also make you do things you wouldn’t normally do (like make out with a guy you don’t know very well) and make you more vulnerable to physical or sexual attack.

So watch out! Drinking safely is not dumb or boring. It’s the smart way to have fun and not have to deal with the consequences of one alcohol induced bad idea for the rest of your life.

If you want help on how to steer clear of peer pressure click on the link in this Beer Free Zone called “What to say if someone is trying to force you to take a drink or play a drinking game.”

Meanwhile check out some of the effects of drinking on women:

Physical Effects

n Women absorb and metabolize alcohol differently than men

¡ Women will have higher Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) after consuming the same amount of alcohol as men

¡ Therefore, women experience the adverse physical effects of drinking quicker then men and at lower drinking rates

n Lower BAC in women is related to women having less water in their bodies than men.

n A woman’s brain and other organs are therefore, exposed to more alcohol than men, increasing risks for

¡ Liver damage

¡ High blood pressure & heart disease and

¡ Breast cancer

n Women experience worse hangovers than men

Possible Sexual and Physical Consequences

n Especially on college campuses, the following are more likely among students who drink heavily:

¡ Unwanted sexual attention

¡ Sexual assault

¡ Unprotected sex

¡ Sexually transmitted disease

¡ Unwanted / unplanned pregnancy

n Over half of sexual assaults among college students involve alcohol

n While the number of alcohol related fatal traffic accidents involving men are decreasing, those involving women are INCREASING

n Female alcoholics are 50 to 100 times more likely to die than male alcoholics (including deaths from suicides, motor vehicle accidents, heart disease and liver disease)

Social Effects

n Forty-Seven percent of women who used substances have experienced emotional, physical, or sexual trauma.

n Women who drink heavily experience more moderate to extreme levels of violent conflict with their partners.

n Some women report being initiated into drug use by male partners.

n Some women report fear that quitting would bring punishment from male partners.

n Women are more likely to drink in solitude

n Women are less likely to seek help or treatment

Sources:

v National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2005) Alcohol: A Women’s Health Issue. NIH Publication No. 04-4956

v National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (1997) Alcohol Alert. Publication No.35 PH 371

Drinking and Men

Okay guys, it’s time for some straight talk. We know that partying with your friends is a way to have fun, meet girls, and show the other guys that you can match them drink for drink. For some guys drinking large amounts, more then 2 drinks an hour, shows others how much of a man they are. Cause only wimps play it safe and drink responsibly or not at all. Right? Wrong…oh so wrong.

Drinking responsibly or not drinking at all is smart but it’s hard for guys to do. It’s hard because, even more than women, there is a lot of peer pressure put on you to drink heavy and to drink often. If you don’t then your manhood is called into question, with taunts like, “You mama’s boy.” At some point you are going to have to decide who is in charge of your decisions – your friends or YOU. When you decide to take a stand and do the right thing your way, it won’t be easy, but in the end you truly will be the better men. And you’ll definitely be better off than the guy whose puking his guts out.

If you want help on how to steer clear of peer pressure clink on the link in this Beer Free Zone called. “What to say if someone is trying to force you to take a drink or play a drinking game.” Meanwhile check out some of the effects of drinking on men.

Physical Effects

n Alcohol metabolism in men has been associated with

n testicular injury

n impaired testosterone synthesis, and

n impaired sperm production

n This may often result in

n Decreased muscle production

n Decreased sex drive

n Reduced capacity for penile erection

n Decreased semen production

n Decreased testes size

n Feminization syndrome

n Increased risk of breast cancer (yes, men can get breast cancer), and

Sources:

v National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (1997) Alcohol Alert. Publication No.35 PH 371

v New Behavior Institute http://www.newbehaviorinstitute.net/1084900.html

Do You Have a Drinking Problem?

Most students have used alcohol in one form or another. But many don't realize that young people can have a drinking problem.

Ask yourself these 20 questions:

"How can I tell if I'm a problem drinker?"

Do you lose time from classes or miss class due to drinking?
Do you drink because you are uncomfortable in social situations?
Do you drink to build up your self confidence?
Is drinking affecting your relationships with friends?
Do you drink alone?
Do you drink to escape from studies or home worries?
Do you feel guilty or depressed after drinking?
Does it bother you if someone says that maybe you drink too much?
Do you have to take a drink when you go out on a date?
Do you get along better with other people when you drink?
Do you get into financial troubles over buying liquor?
Do you feel more important when you drink?
Have you lost friends since you started drinking?
Do you drink more than most of your friends?
Have you started hanging around with a crowd that drinks more than your old friends?
Do you drink until you just couldn't drink anymore?
Have you ever had a complete loss of memory from drinking?
Have you ever been to a hospital or been arrested due to drunken behavior?
Do you turn off to any studies or lectures about drinking?
Do you think you have a problem with alcohol?

If you answered yes to some of these questions, you have some of the symptoms that indicate a problem with alcohol.

Remember, there is no intelligent reason to deny that you have a health problem. If you think you do have a problem, the most important thing is to do something about it!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alcohol abuse is a problem that can affect people of any age. Here are some additional signs that someone has a problem with alcohol:

"Cute tattoo. Where did you get that?"

Family or social problems associated with drinking.
Hiding liquor.
Lying about drinking (minimizing the number of drinks or the fact of drinking at all).
Making promises about drinking to oneself or others ("to cut down on drinking," "to be more careful," etc.).
Drinking to escape from pressure or to solve life's problems.
Feeling guilty after drinking or regret over what was done while drinking.
Getting drunk even when intending to stay sober.
Friends sometimes express concern over the amount of drinking one does.
Significantly increased tolerance to alcohol (early indication of problem drinking).
Drinking capacity, once big, is now dropping (later indication of problem drinking).
"Blackouts"--not recalling the drinking episode.
Increased absenteeism and lateness (job or classes).
More susceptibility to accidents and illness.
Preoccupation with drinking.
Marked changes in behavior or personality when drinking.
Getting drunk frequently.
Gulping drinks.
Academic or job difficulties related to drinking.

If you or someone you know is showing these warning signs, please think about getting help.

Adapted from