It can be said that drinking and partying are both part of the “college experience.” Whether it be at a fraternity house party, in a room with friends, playing a game, or watching a movie on Netflix, many college students like to unwind after a stressful week with a drink. But what can you do to ensure that you have a good night and stay safe? When can you say enough is enough and still make good decisions? Well, here are five tips to help ensure you have a good night out!
1. Eat before drinking. Try to eat a food high in protein before consuming alcohol. The food provides a barrier to help slow down the alcohols absorption. This keeps you from getting drunk too fast. Your liver can only digest one standard drink per hour. Keep this on mind when drinking because you could get yourself into a sticky situation if you drink on an empty stomach, or too fast. Try to eat foods like peanut butter or a deli sandwich before you go out!
2. Don’t go overboard. It’s easy to lose track of how much you drink while you are out. We have all had that one night where we wish we didn’t have that last drink. Remember that you are out to have fun with your friends and socialize with the people around you. Keep your consumption casual. Two to three drinks is plenty enough to get anyone buzzing, so when you start to feel good, make sure you stay well within your limits. It will ensure that you have a good time and also keep you aware of everything around you.
3. Be cautious of drinking games. Drinking games are often a staple at parties, which needs you need to be very cautious! These games are designed to make you consume more alcohol than you typically would in a rather short period of time. This makes you more susceptible to lose track of your drinking capacity and coherence. Limit the amount of games you participate in. A general rule of thumb is one in, two out, meaning you play one game and just watch the following two. This allows you to be involved in everything, but not to the extent where you can put yourself at risk.
4. Download a safety app. There are a lot of apps out there to assist you while you are out partying. An especially useful one is Circle of 6. It allows you to add six people that you trust in case of an uncomfortable or potentially dangerous situation. You can send premade text messages with the tap of a button. For instance, if you get separated from your friends, you can tap the GPS pin and it sends a text to your circle saying “come to get me” with your exact location. It has also been credited with the 2011 White House and HHS Apps Against Abuse Technology Challenge and Winner of Avon Foundation for Women/ Institute of Medicine “Ending Violence @Home.” I highly advise all women to get this app!
5. Know the signs of Intoxication. You have to be very mindful of your body when you are drinking. If you start to experience any of the following symptoms, slow consumption or stop and choose a non-alcoholic drink to maintain coherence.
1. Bad judgment/ behavior
2. Stumbling, loss of fine motor skills, swaying
3. Inability to hear well, bad vision
4. Forgetting tasks, forgetting thoughts
5. Overly emotional: laughing a lot, mood swings, overly friendly
Being safe is more important than being drunk. Have your wits about you while you are out and you are ensured to have a good time with many memories to share. Try these few tips out and have a fabulous weekend!