College life is often portrayed as raucous, alcohol-drenched behavior. As it turns out, that's
not quite true.
It won't surprise you to know that University of Michigan students are quite
brainy. Virtually all students know that it's illegal to drink alcohol under the age of 21 (for more
on Michigan laws, see Is That Legal?).
Twenty-five percent don't drink alcohol. Plenty of others use their brains to choose to be
safe. In fact, 71% of UM students have 0, 1, 2, 3 or at the most 4 drinks when they party.
Aside from drinking moderately, here are some other things that UM students do:
Keep blood alcohol concentration at .06% or below (52%) - see
Stay in the Blue
Avoid drinking games (79%)
Determine, in advance, not to exceed a set number of drinks (79%)
Alternate non-alcoholic with alcoholic beverages (84%)
Want more tips for getting what you want out of alcohol (and avoiding what you don't want)? Read
further:
Measure your drinks. One drink = 12 oz beer = 1 shot of liquor = 4 oz wine
Accept only individual drinks. Avoid pitchers and punch that make it hard to know how much you've
had or what's in them.
Sip instead of pound.
Avoid taking shots and reduce the amount of liquor in a mixed drink.
Take less cash to the bar (and leave the credit card at home).
Avoid the pre-party.
Go out later or leave earlier.
Have other ways to stay safe while drinking? We want to hear from you! Send your suggestions to
contactUHS@umich.edu and we'll share them with other UM
students.
For more information, contact Marsha Benz, UHS Health Educator at 734-647-4656.
