Did you know that 1,400 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year form alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes? And more than 600,00 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking?
Don’t fall prey to these myths about alcohol:
1. MYTH: I can drink and still be in control.
FACT: Drinking impairs your judgment, which increases the likelihood that you will do something you’ll later regret such as unprotected sex, being involved in date rape, damaging property, or being victimized by others.
2. MYTH: Drinking isn’t all that dangerous.
FACT: One in three 18- to 24-year-olds admitted to emergency rooms for serious injuries is intoxicated. And alcohol is associated with homicides, suicides, fatal vehicle accidents, and drownings.
3. MYTH: I can sober up quickly if I have to.
FACT: It takes about 3 hours to eliminate the alcohol content of two drinks, depending on your weight. Nothing can speed up this process—not even coffee or a cold shower.
4. MYTH: Its okay for me to drink to keep up with my boyfriend.
FACT: Women process alcohol differently. No matter how much he drinks, if you drink the same amount as your boyfriend, you will be more intoxicated and more impaired.
5. MYTH: I can manage to drive well enough after a few drinks.
FACT: About one-half of all fatal traffic crashes among 18- to 24-year-olds involve alcohol. If you are under 21, driving after drinking any alcohol is illegal and you could lose your license. The risk of a fatal crash for drivers with positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC) compared to other drivers increases with increasing BAC, and the risks increase more steeply for drivers younger than age 21 than for older drivers.
6. MYTH: I’d be better off if I learn to “hold my liquor.”
FACT: If you have to drink increasingly larger amounts of alcohol to get a “buzz” or get “high,” you are developing tolerance. Tolerance is actually a warning sign that you’re developing serious problems with alcohol.
7. MYTH: Beer doesn’t have as much alcohol as hard liquor.
FACT: A 12-ounce bottle of beer has the same amount of alcohol as a standard shot of 80-proof liquor (either straight or in a mixed drink) or 5 ounces of wine.
If you think you have a problem with alcohol, contact your student health service.
Source: “Alcohol Myths,” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov.
