Low Risk Drinking Guidelines
You don’t want to find yourself like this!
Concepts such as moderate drinking, responsible drinking and social drinking are vague and mean different things to different people.
More useful are numerical estimates of safe drinking limits.
Most ND students are responsible on a typical drinking occasion. ND tends to be a very event oriented campus, and such events as Saint Patrick’s Day, the Blue Gold game, and Tailgates, can lead to over consumption and less good things can happen.
If you are of age the recommended guideline is to spread drinks out over time:
Women: 2 drinks / 3 hours
Men: 3 drinks / 3 hours
It is also suggested that a person’s blood alcohol content not exceed a .056. After a .06 the negative physiological effects of alcohol begin. A secondary reason for the suggestion is that the legal definition of intoxication is a .08. Exceeding a .08 leaves one open for legal issues.
Remember your body only rids itself of one standard drink an hour. Exceeding this limit can lead to intoxication.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, low-risk drinking guidelines are defined as:
No more than one drink per day for most women-and-No more than two drinks per day for most men.
Guidelines are different for men and women as women become more intoxicated than men at an equivalent dose, even if the man and woman are the exact same size. Both men and women are at risk of impairment at a .06. Impairment significantly increases for both men and women at .10. If you are going to use a BAC chart to estimate your BAC level please remember:
BAC charts provide only a generalized estimate and are based on ideal body weight and conditions. Smaller people with a higher ratio of body fat to muscle mass are generally affected more quickly by alcohol and will experience the effects of alcohol more intensely.
Low-risk guidelines exclude individuals who should not consume any alcohol:
- If a contradicted medical condition is present
- If alcohol dependent
- If pregnant or considering pregnancy
- If operating a motor vehicle
Abstinence is recommended when the following conditions are present:
- Under the age of 21
- When taking medication that interacts with alcohol
- When ill
- When exhausted or sleep deprived
- When anxious, upset or angry
- When stomach is empty
Low-risk guidelines may have to be modified under the following conditions:
- If body size is small
- If there is a family history of alcoholism
Helpful website
http://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/