• Approximately 20% of UCSB students report abstaining for alcohol use.
  • One alcohol (a depressant) drink equals: 12 oz of beer, 4-5 oz of wine, 1 to 1 œ oz. of hard liquor.
  • In general those who drink in moderation (1 to 4 drinks for men and 1 to 3 drinks for women) have less risk for problems than those who drink more in one session.
  • Learn how to determine your Blood Alcohol Content: http://b4udrink.org/. If you choose to drink maintain a BAC of 0.055 or lower. Generally people at these levels feel relaxed, social, funny, and confident. And they have less risk for problems than those who have higher BAC levels.
  • You can reduce the risk of alcohol related problems (from missing class to being injured) by slowing down the RAPID rise of Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). A few ways to do this:

    • Eating something before and during drinking
    • Alternate non-alcoholic drinks when drinking alcohol
    • Pace your drinking, don’t drink a lot at once.
    • Set a limit of how many drinks you are going to consume and stick to it.
  • Black-outs are caused by rapid rising of BAC levels. Black outs are not normal and may be a sign of a drinking problem.
  • High tolerance to alcohol may be a sign of a drinking problem.
  • If you see someone suffering from alcohol poisoning call 911 to save their life. Do not assume s/he can just "sleep it off". The signs of alcohol poisoning are:

    • Slow and shallow breathing
    • Pale, blue, and/or clammy skin
    • Unable to wake up the person
    • Vomiting while unconscious
  • 5 reason to see an alcohol/drug counselor (call 805-893-3371 to make a free and confidential appointment):

    • Concern about your own drinking or use of substances
    • Concern about a friends or family members use
    • Concern about someone impacted by another’s use
    • Questions about specific substances
    • To talk about ways to stay healthy
  • Friends do make a difference by:

    • Giving honest and timely feedback (I’m worried about your drinking, I care about you, etc.) to friends. An alcohol/drug counselor can give your tips on how to approach your friend.
    • Encouraging friends to make an appointment with an alcohol/drug counselor
    • Responding to an emergency such as alcohol poisoning