What to Know About Alcohol

The right amount of alcohol for you

One of the keys to a positive experiences with alcohol is dosage. Like any other drug, you want to feel the optimal effect with the least amount. If you had a headache, you might take one or two aspirin—not ten! The same concept applies to alcohol.

How do you know the right amount for you? We recommend that you check out a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) calculator and make sure that your BAC never goes above a .06. Note that gender affects BAC. (Learn more about why gender matters.)

Understanding BAC

What does BAC mean? BAC is milligrams of alcohol per 100 milligrams of blood, usually expressed as a percentage. For example, .10 BAC is 1 part alcohol for every 1,000 parts blood. See the chart below to find out what these numbers really mean. A “good buzz” is typically experienced when your BAC slowly rises to a level no higher than a .06.

.02	Mellow feeling. Slight body warmth. Less inhibited. It is illegal for those under 21 to drive at this level of BAC, and can lead to a revoked license.
.05	Driving while ability impaired.
.06	Judgment is somewhat impaired. People are less able to make rational decisions about their capacities.
.08	Definite impairment to driving and illegal in NYS (DUI).
.10	Reaction time and muscle control is impaired. Social drinkers rarely, if ever, reach this BAC level. Noisy. Mood swings. Possibly embarrassing behavior.
.15	Balance and movement are substantially impaired. The person has difficulty with normal walking or talking although a person may think they are fine. Risk of injury. Risk of choking on vomit.
.20	“Alcohol blackout” likely in which person is unable to recall what happened while they were intoxicated.
.25	All mental, physical, and sensory functions impaired. Increased risk of asphyxiation from choking on your own vomit and of seriously injuring yourself by falling or other accidents.
.30	Little comprehension of where you are. Many people lose consciousness, either falling asleep or passing out.
.35	This BAC is similar to surgical anesthesia.
.40	Most people lose consciousness. Nerve centers controlling the heart slow down.
.45	Fatal BAC in about 50% of the population. Alcohol at this level can paralyze the portion of the brain that controls breathing and heart rate. Vital functions cease and the person dies of respiratory or cardiovascular failure. This can happen even when someone has passed out after drinking a large amount of alcohol very rapidly. Though the person is passed out, the alcohol in the stomach continues to be absorbed in the bloodstream causing a fatal dose to accumulate.

The ups and downs of alcohol

When a person consumes moderate amounts of alcohol slowly, the alcohol produces a mild “up” feeling—we call this a “good buzz.” There is a point when drinking—the point of diminishing returns, which is a BAC no higher than .06—when the buzz will not get better with more alcohol. In fact, drinking more alcohol at this point can lead to more negative feelings—like fatigue. This “up” feeling, followed by a “down” feeling if you drink too much, has been described as the biphasic response to alcohol.

Getting the most from drinking

If you choose to consume alcohol, the way to drink for your optimal high is to reach your buzz slowly and maintain it. This will also reduce the negative consequences from drinking. Here are some strategies other students who drink have found helpful for optimizing the positive effects of alcohol and avoiding negative consequences:

• Space and pace your drinking to about one per hour
• Decide before you go out how much you are going to drink
• Count your drinks
• Alternate between non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks
• Drink for quality, not quantity
• Eat before and during drinking
• Make a decision about sex that night before you go out
• Avoid drinking games
• Avoid shots and/or mixed drinks
• Stop drinking when you feel dizzy, nauseous, or tired
• Use a designated driver, walk, or bring cab fare