About Alcohol and Safer Drinking Strategies

Information for Students

While drinking is a part of some student’s social activities, it is not central to the lives of most NC State students. There are thousands of activities offered at NC State and surrounding areas that do not involve drinking.

Explore the role that alcohol plays in your life and others as well as identify ways you can make low-risk choices concerning alcohol use. Some educational materials on this site promote low-risk alcohol consumption and should not be construed as endorsing or promoting underage consumption.

Decisions concerning alcohol consumption are a personal choice, and students should make informed decisions. For those who choose to drink, the recommendation is that they drink in a low-risk way to reduce/eliminate negative consequences associated with alcohol use.

Safer Drinking Strategies

Plan Ahead

• Know your goals for the night and share plans with friends on when to stop and how to get home. This is both an accountability system and a safety network.
• Stay with your friends until the end of the night.

Know Your “No”

• How will you turn down a drink when you don’t want one?
• Script your “no”. Write a script in which you stay in control of a situation when someone offers you a drink when you’re not interested or you’ve had enough to drink. Write a series of firm responses that are short, clear, and simple.
• Imagine a specific situation in which someone offers you a drink.

  1. My response:

  2. Person persists by saying:

  3. My next response:

  4. Person continues to persist by saying:

  5. My next response:

Keep Track

• Use strategies such as texting a friend, marking your hand or moving a penny from one pocket to the other after each drink. Don’t pass your pre-set max.
• Check out this online BAC calculator.

Measure

• Know the standard drink sizes (see cup above) so you can count your drinks accurately.
• Prepare any mixed drinks yourself and properly measure the liquor amount.

Pace and Space

• One standard drink of alcohol per hour helps reduce the risk of reaching a dangerous BAC. Remember, it’s a hike, not a race.

Include Food

• Eat a substantial meal before and during drinking to slow down the absorption rate of alcohol.

Estimate Your Blood Alcohol Content

You can use this calculator to estimate the level of alcohol in your system, or your blood alcohol content. The calculator uses the Widmark formula to determine your level of intoxication.

In North Carolina, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher. However, if you feel any effect from drinking at all, do not drive.