College Alcohol Use and
Academics
Have Fun and Be Safe/
Keep Others Safe
Dr. Frank Budd
Counseling and Substance
Abuse Services
What are the “Facts*” About College
Drinking at CofC?
 Never Used Alcohol = 27% vs. perception of 4%
 Drink < 10 drinks per week = 86.3%
 Percent who binge drink at least 2 days a week, or
“typical” Fri and Sat partying = men 23%, women 14%
 Perception/Belief is 70% drink more than once a week
Are You Sure EVERYONE Drinks Like You Do?
*Results of 2012 CORE Survey
3 Common Reasons Students Drink
1) Mood Enhancement – “letting loose, having MORE fun”
Related to frequent and heavy drinking for men
2) Tension Reduction – “to get rid of tension, feel more
relaxed, not be so anxious – able to talk to others easier”
3) Social Camaraderie – “it helps you fit in-its what others are
doing (a desire for people connection not primarily to drink
itself), to enjoy being around others”
62% of Athletes, 88% of Sororities, and 93% of Fraternities see
drinking as a central part of the social life of CofC
Quiz Time
 How many students each year die from unintentional
alcohol related injuries?
1. 2000
2. 100
3. 1700
4. 3300
29% of CofC students report serious personal problems related to
substance use: suicidality, being hurt or injured, sexual assault.
If You Want to Drink to Have Fun But
NOT Get Drunk
1. Know your limit. Safe estimate is 1 per hour, no more than 4.
2. Eat food while you drink. It is particularly good to eat high protein
foods such as cheese and peanuts, which help to slow the absorption of
alcohol into the circulatory system.
3. Sip your drink. If you gulp a drink for the effect, you are losing a
pleasure of drinking, namely tasting and smelling the various flavors. This
is particularly true for wine.
4. Accept a drink only when you really want one. At a party if someone
is trying to force another drink on you, ask for ice or drink a
non-alcoholic beverage. 40% of students report peer pressure to drink
or use drugs.
5. Cultivate taste. Choose quality rather than quantity. Learn the
names of fine wines, whiskeys, and beers. Learn what beverage goes with
what foods.
Keep Your Head When All About You
Are Losing Theirs, cont.
6. Skip a drink now and then. When at a party, have a
nonalcoholic drink between the alcoholic one to keep your blood
alcohol concentration down. Goal=1 per hr, no more than 4
7. Beware of unfamiliar drinks. Such drinks as zombies and other
fruit and rum drinks can be deceiving, as the alcohol is not always
detectable, and it is difficult to space them out.
8. Make sure that drinking improves social relationships rather
than impairs them. Serve alcohol as an adjunct to an activity
rather than as the primary focus. Have a German night party rather
than just getting together to drink beer.
9. Appoint a designated driver/ESCORT. Have someone available
who will not be drinking and will drive/escort all “tipsy” or
“hammered” home. BETA’s Step UP! Keep someone safe

Quiz Time
 Number of college students assaulted by a person under
the influence of alcohol?
1. Approximately 700,000
2. Approximately 2 million
3. Approximately 50,000
4. Approximately 300,000
36% of CofC students got into an argument or fight, and 19% have been hurt
or injured related to their drinking or the drinking of someone else.
Is Your Friends or Your Level of Drinking a Problem?
Moderate Drinkers:
 Drink Slowly
 Know when to stop drinking (Do not
drink to get Drunk)
 Eat before or while drinking
 Never drive after drinking
 Respect Nondrinkers
 Know and obey laws related to drinking
Problem Drinkers
 Frequently drink to get drunk –
doesn’t matter if you “feel” drunk or not
 Try to “solve” problems by drinking
 Experience personality changes – become loud, angry, suicidal or
violent, OR, silent, remote or reclusive
 Drink when they should not – depressed, on medication
 Cause other problems – fights, injuries, property damage
 Keep drinking despite negative consequences – missing class,
mental fog in class/poor learning, late on assignments, lower
grades, fights with friends, depressed mood
34% of incoming freshmen to CofC already drink heavily, vs. national average of 22%
Quiz Time
 How many students who have experienced sexual assault on
the CofC campus report consuming alcohol or drugs?
1. 50 %
2. 23%
3. 62%
4. 83%
More than 100,000 students report having been too intoxicated to know if
they consented to having sex (Hingson et al., 2002 & 2005).
 Regardless of the poor choices of the victim, including alcohol
or drug abuse, sexual assault is ALWAYS the perpetrators fault
 Many perpetrators are stalkers, carefully picking their
victims so it not just an issue of what the victim did or
didn’t do to protect themselves
 The only individual who is at fault, and should be held
accountable for this type of crime is the perpetrator – who
intentionally chose to violate the law and cause harm to the
individual and our community
 If you don’t have 100% consent, you likely have committed
sexual assault and/or rape
Class Attendance and
studying
• 62.5 % of students who meet criteria for addiction failed
in their first year of college.
• The amount of alcohol consumed is the third greatest
predictor of GPA behind SAT scores and class rank.
• Alcohol use related to 40% of incidents of lowered
academic performance.
• 25% of college drop outs are related to alcohol.
How Long is a Hangover Really?
• Research indicates that drinking to intoxication can affect cognitive
performance for up to 3 days.
• Drinking to intoxication inhibits REM sleep, the most restful stage of
sleep, which results in a shorter attention span – “problems
concentrating”
• Heavy alcohol use also impairs memory by inhibiting the transfer and
consolidation of information into long-term memory.
• Alcohol misuse impairs your ability to concentrate up to 72hrs
following intoxication, resulting in poor note taking, decreased
reading speed and reading comprehension, less efficient studying,
and poor abstract thinking (think essay tests, research papers).
The Role of Academic Affairs in College Student Alcohol Prevention
Helen Stubbs, Vice President of Higher Education, Everfi
Consequences of Alcohol Misuse
Consequences of Alcohol Use
 Death: "Using figures from government databases and national
surveys on alcohol use, researchers at the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) found that drinkingrelated accidental deaths among 18- to 24-year-old students
have been creeping upward -- from 1,440 in 1998 to 1,825 in
2005." http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615093919
.htm
 Among freshmen, the number is disproportionally high, with 20%
of freshmen deaths related to alcohol
misuse. http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/YouthIssues/1140106101.html#
.UmGmPiTkB_w
CofC has had several students deaths resulting from substance
abuse – It is a tragedy YOU can help us avoid
Alcohol Consequences at CofC
CofC vs. National Sample
 Arrested for DUI - 1.7% vs. 1.2%
 In trouble with police, damaged property – 19.5 vs. 18.9
 Arguing or fighting – 36% vs. 31%
 Performed poorly on test/project – 32% vs. 21%
 Missed class – 41% vs. 28%
 Memory loss – 45% vs. 35%
Alcohol Consequences - Violence
***It’s not just your drinking that you have to watch out for.
Signs of Alcohol Poisoning
 Unresponsive
 Cold and clammy, bluish skin color
 Slow or difficult breathing
 Seizures
CofC has a Good Samaritan Policy – get them help now!
Criteria for DSM 5 Substance Use Disorder:
When you have crossed the line
 Taking the substance in larger amounts or for longer than the
you meant to
 Wanting to cut down or stop using the substance but not
managing to
 Spending a lot of time getting, using, or recovering from use of
the substance
 Cravings and urges to use the substance
 Not managing to do what you should at work, home or school,
because of substance use
Criteria cont.
 Continuing to use, even when it causes problems in
relationships
 Giving up important social, occupational or recreational
activities because of substance use
 Using substances again and again, even when it puts you in
danger
 Continuing to use, even when the you know you have a physical
or psychological problem that could have been caused or made
worse by the substance
 Needing more of the substance to get the effect you want
(tolerance)
 Development of withdrawal symptoms, which can be relieved
by taking more of the substance.
Resources if You Think You Have a Problem
 Come and talk to someone at CASAS, 953-5640
 Go to the “campus” AA program, Grace Episcopal Church,
Fri, 8:45 – 10pm, Wentworth and Glebe St.
 Center for Drug & Alcohol Programs
MUSC
MSC 861
67 President Street
Charleston, SC 29425
To schedule an appointment:
(843) 792-2727
 If you need to take a Leave of Absence (for the semester) or
Complete Withdrawal for treatment contact Undergraduate
Academic Services, 953-5674