Criminal Liability & California Law
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Your Health & Safety Let’s get something straight. Stanford has a genuine concern for you, your health and your safety. This section of the Alcohol Awareness Guide explains the effects of alcohol on your body, brain and psychological and social health. Most students drink…responsibly So, what’s the scene really like? At Stanford, surveys indicate that the vast majority of students drink responsibly or not at all. Those who choose to drink do so without experiencing or causing harm to self and/or others for the most part. Although heavy drinking doesn’t typically dominate the scene, sometimes students definitely drink beyond their limit. Some of these drinkers may develop problems. If you drink, be aware of the wide range of effects that alcohol has on your judgement and behavior. What does “drink responsibly” really mean? Ads for alcohol tell you to drink responsibly, and although they provide plenty of catchy slogans and tag lines, let’s take a harder look at what “responsible” really means. It’s a no-brainer. A responsible drinker makes decisions that do not put his or her health, personal safety, or the safety of those around them at risk. They skillfully manage their consumption. They don’t end up unintentionally burdening others with the responsibility of cleaning up their mess, or staying up all night to “nurse” them. It goes without saying that folks need to know “how much is too much”, and that is the key part of the “responsible” equation. What’s too much? Unfortunately, it isn’t a simple, static number; it varies according to multiple factors and situations. ______________________________________________________________ I’m a responsible person. I follow the rules and do what’s expected of me, not much of a troublemaker. Whoa - all that changes when I drink. It’s weird. It’s like I become someone else. I thought it was fun to do crazy stuff when I was drunk, until my friends told me that they were sick and tired me breaking stuff and acting like a jerk. Man, I was stunned. I really had to think about stuff and figured out that I need to chill and just have a couple of drinks. I tried this a few times and found out that not only were my buddies happier, but I was happier – not worrying about who I pissed off or what I might get charged for breaking. I think that everyone should look at why they drink a lot, and who they become when they’ve had too much booze. SD, Junior ______________________________________________________________ Did you realize, given the same exact amount of alcohol, the level of intoxication varies according to some physiological and biological factors? Here are some examples:
Alcohol affects women more quickly and intensely due to, a typically smaller body size and weight than men. Also, women have about half as much of the enzymes used to metabolize alcohol than men do (alcohol dehydrogenase and aceldehyde dehydrogenase).
Smaller people have less body mass through which alcohol can diffuse, meaning more alcohol in the bloodstream. Therefore, they become more intoxicated quickier.
Alcohol is not drawn into body fat as well as it draws into lean muscle mass. Therefore, blood alcohol concentration is intensified in those with more body fat. Think oil & water.
When students are stressed, as opposed to when they are more relaxed, alcohol absorbs more rapidly. Stress also causes the stomach to empty directly into the small intestine, where alcohol is absorbed even faster.
Other drugs and medications often have adverse effects and unpredictable interactions with alcohol. Even Tylenol can cause significant liver troubles if paired with alcohol. Make a point to know what the potential interactions are with medications/drugs you have taken before you drink. Seriously, in some cases, these interactions can be fatal. When in doubt, don’t drink alcohol when taking meds.
Drinking on an empty stomach irritates your digestive system, and results in more rapid absorption of alcohol. Instead, eat high-protein foods (tofu, cheese, etc.) along with alcohol before and when drinking and you’ll be in much more control.
Genetic enzyme deficiencies (alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase), diabetes, hypertension, thiamine deficiency, depression, seizure disorder and a myriad of other health conditions may decrease the body’s ability to process alcohol and therefore present increased health risks. Alcohol and other drug dependencies may increase the risk of developing chronic disease and long-term dependence. Consult with your healthcare clinician.
Why does chugging significantly lead to unwanted risks? Going overboard with drinking is like overdosing. The more alcohol you drink within a short period of time, the more you overtax your physiological system. It responds by shutting down. First, your cognitive system shuts down, you lose inhibitions and feel loose. Pour in more alcohol, and your body might force you to vomit (first sign of alcohol poisoning), or pass out (other brain functions shut down). Finally, your sympathetic and parasympathetic systems will shut down due to systemic alcohol poisoning. Enjoy your drink more slowly and spread your drinking out over time and you can control how intoxicated you become.
_____________________________________________________ “I couldn’t believe it when I woke up in the emergency room. I didn’t drink that much and there I was, breathing through a damned tube. My poor, scared Mom arrived the next day. She asked me if I told the doctors that I had been taking codeine cough medicine for my bronchitis. Codeine. Alcohol. Man, I just felt so damned stupid.” RT, Student leader _____________________________________________________ Just one drink… What is the definition of “one drink”? Simply put, one drink is:
The body can process about one drink per hour, depending on the previously mentioned factors. For example, if you have three drinks, it will take approximately three hours after your last drink to sober up. And while people have tried to sober up after drinking too much, nothing you do (vomiting, drinking coffee, showering, etc.) can speed this process up and make your liver work faster. Only time can sober you up. The Red Cup = 16 ounces Keep in mind that the ubiquitous red cup has recently grown from 12 oz to 16 oz. So, if you decide to have 3 of those full of beer – you just had 4 measured drinks, not the 3 that you intended to drink. What about mixed drinks? Misinformed pouring can result in a drink that is 1/2 hard alcohol, and ½ mixer. In our big red cup, that means that you just drank the equivalent of 7-8 shots in one Red Cup full of a mixed drink!!. So, be prepared to get sick (see BAC charts): Way too many students get alcohol poisoning and require Emergency Room treatment, as a result of drinking too much hard liquor (either mixed drinks or taking shots).
Effects of alcohol at various Blood Alcohol Concentration levels: BAC (%) and Physical and mental effects ------------------------------------------------------------------------- .01 - .03 No apparent effects. Slight mood elevation. In California, you will test as legally impaired at .01% BAC if you are under 21. It is illegal to drive or bike at this level. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- .04 - .06 Feeling of relaxation. Sensation of warmth. Minor impairment of reasoning and memory. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- .07 - .09 Mild impairment of balance, speech, vision, control. In California, you will test as legally impaired at .08% BAC if you are over 21. It is illegal to drive or bike at this level. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- .10 - .12 Significant impairment of motor coordination and loss of judgment. Speech may be slurred. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- .13 - .15 Gross impairment of motor control. Blurred vision and major loss of balance. Onset of dysphoria (anxiety, restlessness). ------------------------------------------------------------------------- .16 - .20 Dysphoria predominates. Nausea may appear. Drinker has the appearance of “sloppy drunk.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------- .25 - .30 Severe intoxication. Needs assistance walking. Mental confusion. Dysphoria with nausea and some vomiting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- .35 - .40 Loss of consciousness. Brink of coma. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- .40 and up Onset of coma. Likelihood of death due to respiratory failure.
____________________________________________________ *This table shows how the risks from alcohol increase with the number of drinks consumed.
Tolerance You may hear some people claim that they have a high tolerance and can handle more alcohol than others. Tolerance is just a physical and mental acclimation to alcohol, developed after habitual use. Just because a person is acclimated to being drunk doesn’t mean that they can make good judgements about their decision-making, motor skills and reaction times. A person who brags about having “high tolerance’ may have a drinking problem that, left untreated, could ultimately lead to alcoholism. So check it - If someone taunts you about being a "light weight" , don't get all bent out of shape and competitive. Simply, look them in the eyes and say "Congratulations, you can out drink me. Your tolerance means that you are just one step closer to alcoholism than I am." ________________________________________________________ “I partied in high school and when I first got here, I got caught up in this frenzy about alcohol. Maybe it was because it was readily available or I was no longer living at home, but I drank mightily. It’s weird because I knew that I would vomit or get a hangover, but I drank to get smashed. I didn’t get arrested or alcohol poisoning, but at one point, I asked myself – what the hell is going on? I got involved in doing some research stuff and drinking took a back seat. I actually stopped drinking for about 3 months – not on purpose, but just as a byproduct. Then I had a couple of drinks and realized that my tolerance had diminished. It was actually quite cool. What used to take me 6 drinks to feel buzzed, now takes only 2. I like being a “light weight”, it saves me money, time, and the hassle of hangovers.” TH, Senior_________________________________________________________ Front Loading Ever wanted to drink a ton of alcohol in a short amount of time? Or wanted to “catch up” with everyone else? Well, that’s called front loading (consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short amount of time). It often centers on hard liquor. Although it may initially seem cool, most people visit the “porcelain god” about an hour or two later. Your body is overtaxed in its effort to metabolize the alcohol. Vomit. Pass out. Definitely hung over. Pace your drinking, take steps to enhance the experience (i.e. not recklessly front load) and you’ll be more likely to stop before unwanted and sometimes harmful things happen. However, if you front load to the point of not knowing when to stop, it can be too late. You’ll sort of skid into unwanted, disagreeable, and even dangerous things like:
What motivates people to drink? Do motivational differences matter? When people drink to loosen up, chill and get a bit buzzed, they usually drink within a comfortable limit. But when booze is used to “self-medicate”, i.e.: substitutes for dealing with emotional discomfort, problems, and difficult circumstances, there is the danger that they will impair their emotional development. In a recent survey, the following issues were listed by college students as reasons they drink beyond their limit:
If you and/or a friend experience these or other challenging issues, reach out for support, rather than reaching for the bottle. Alcohol doesn’t help to solve life’s challenges - in fact, it just makes things worse because it can become a substitute for developing real coping skills. When certain experiences do suck, are unfair, painful or maddening, use your own resources (including support from friends, family and professionals) to learn how to cope effectively, gain confidence and develop strength and self-esteem.
More than just drinking: Long term health consequences A glass of red wine may protect against heart disease later in life, but let’s be honest, except for a few sophisticated soirées on campus; the Stanford party scene doesn’t involve students sitting around sipping one glass of red wine. Most Stanford students won’t experience chronic, long-term health problems as a result of his or her drinking. However, frequent and intense drinking can result in serious drinking problems, as well serious health problems, such as cirrhosis of the liver, damage to heart, liver and brain, impairments in cognitive functioning, stomach/esophagus/mouth ulcers or bleeding. Emotional and social development can also become seriously impaired over time. We need to be aware of the serious problems that potentially could develop if the pattern of drinking we hone in college is unhealthy.
Short-term health consequences are more immediate. Our bodies are very resilient, and very forgiving. But as a drug, the physical and mental effects of alcohol (see Section 1) can be profound. Loss of coordination, judgment and inhibitions make alcohol a very potent chemical or drug. Heavy use presents a risk of harm to the drinker, and to those around him or her. Alcohol’s ability to lower inhibitions also renders it a “co-factor” (partial cause) in behaviors like sexual assault, aggressive or violent confrontations, and property damage. One reason that we drink alcohol is to alter our mood, but sometimes that altered state significantly impairs our judgment and we may do something out of character, something dangerous or criminal. It’s important to stop yourself or to stop a friend, before the situation careens into a regrettable evening. ______________________________________________________________ “We just hooked-up at a party. We started drinking at 9pm and before I knew it is was 2am. We went back to his room and started kissing and fooling around. I really only wanted to mess around but it felt good and I was really drunk and so I said yes and we had sex. The next morning I was really embarrassed and he was also freaking out. We both went our separate ways. I see him around campus and we say hi, but it’s really weird. I guess that’s what they call regretted sex.” RK, Junior ______________________________________________________________ Major short-term health effects, or “co-risks”
_______________________________________________________________ “Practically all of my drinking experiences have been good ones – I’ve had a good time, never gotten sick or done something that made me uncomfortable. Ironically, I only once drank so much that I sick from alcohol, and that one time, I was a victim of sexual assault.” MT, Grad_______________________________________________________________
Hangovers Here’s the 411 on hangovers:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What causes hangovers? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Drinking too much alcohol Believe it or not, the number one reason we get hangovers is because we drink too much alcohol. Our body can only process one alcoholic drink per hour, so when we consume multiple drinks in a short amount of time, we run the risk of a nasty hangover. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Dehydration Alcohol is a diuretic and causes our system to shed water. The more water we lose the more dehydrated we get and the more likely we are to experience a hangover. The headache of a hangover is actually caused by the shrinkage of our brain dura (the membrane that encases our brain) due to dehydration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Congeners Congeners are natural by-products of alcohol fermentation. They are impurities contained in alcoholic beverages that enhance the symptoms of a hangover. Alcoholic beverages that are darker in color contain more congeners. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Reduction in Vitamin B Processing alcohol drains our system. We expend energy metabolizing alcohol and its byproducts. One side effect is the reduction in vitamin B. Without vitamin B we feel fatigued and tired. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Not eating before drinking Drinking on an empty stomach can increase the likelihood that we will experience the irritating effects of alcohol in our gastrointestinal tract. Eating something before you start drinking can reduce the heartburn or upset stomach of a hangover. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Mixing Avoid alternating the types of alcohol you consume. If you begin with beer, stick with beer for the whole evening. Starting with a mixed drink? Stay with that specific type of alcoholic drink. For many, downing different kinds of alcoholicdrinks leads to hangovers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alcohol poisoning and the emergency room visit What happens when you’ve drunk too much alcohol? In the short-term, your body is overtaxed in its effort to metabolize the alcohol. Remember that alcohol is a depressant, and depresses brain functioning.
So let’s say Terry had a drink or two. First, cognitive functions are mildly impaired- that’s why Terry feels “tipsy” and relaxed. Another drink or two leads to further cognitive impairment, like loss of inhibitions, judgment and decision making ability. More booze, more brain functions affected. Motor skill impairment lead to slurred speech, staggering around, and clumsiness.
Finally, Terry’s basic autonomic functions become depressed. Terry’s breathing suddenly slows, lips look bluish and Terry can’t be roused. The excessive alcohol eventually affects Terry’s basic respiratory functions. That calls for Emergency Room treatment, with IV tubes, ventilators and respirators hooked up to keep Terry alive. When the alcohol finally metabolizes over time, and body functions are stabilized artificially, then Terry’s functioning is slowly restored.
Once too much alcohol is in your system, you actually lose the ability to choose. Becoming aware of why you drink helps you make the best decisions and reduces your risk of harm.
Drinking Quiz
Alcohol use can be defined on a continuum-of-use 1. No use of alcohol is a choice we’ve all made for one reason or another. Maybe we needed to get up early in the morning, or had to study for exams, or maybe we just didn’t feel like drinking one evening. Abstinence from alcohol might be a long-term lifestyle choice, whether for religious, cultural or personal reasons.
2. Experimentation is a phase where we are “trying out” alcohol and its effects. This may occur in high school, or for some Stanford students, (especially frosh), it may happen right here on the Farm, especially during early fall quarter. Be aware of the special risks of the experimentation phase. Watch out for yourself, and others. Inexperience with alcohol consumption often makes students vulnerable to unwanted and extremely adverse effects of alcohol.
3. Social use is the preferred drinking style of most Stanford students. Social drinkers are experienced in knowing their limits, and enjoy being social and relaxed. It’s difficult to chill if you’re stumbling around, slurring your speech and being an obnoxious, sloppy drunk.
4. Alcohol abuse is a term used in two different ways. The term “alcohol abuse” can also refer to a pattern of drinking, even a single episode of heavy drinking, that leads to negative consequences. Examples of problems associated with abusive drinking include vomiting, blacking out, drinking and driving, violence, and/or getting arrested. “Substance Abuse” is a clinical diagnosis that infers that a person has a serious drinking problem and may be approaching alcoholism.
5. Alcohol dependency, or alcoholism, is a serious medical and psychological condition that may develop over time as a result of chronic abusive drinking. Affecting approximately 12% of the US population, It is a condition where the drinker physiologically needs the substance and may be dependent upon it to function socially. A dependent person may say, and truly believe, that he or she is choosing to drink heavily. In reality, however, they have lost the ability to truly make a personal choice about alcohol. Without support and treatment, students who are alcohol dependent face short and long-term harm to themselves, and perhaps to the campus community.
© Stanford University Alcohol Advisory Board, 2008 |
