Alcohol Education

Understanding how alcohol affects the body can help you make informed decisions, recognize dangerous situations and reduce alcohol-related risk. RISE provides alcohol education, individualized support and connections to campus resources.

Possible Alcohol Poisoning?

Alcohol poisoning can be life-threatening. If someone may be experiencing alcohol poisoning, call 911 immediately.

Stay with the person and follow instructions from emergency responders. Never assume someone can simply sleep it off.

Call 911

When in doubt, call for help. Getting medical attention is more important than worrying about possible consequences for drinking.

Understanding Alcohol

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. It can affect judgment, coordination, reaction time, memory and decision-making. The effects vary depending on how much alcohol is consumed, how quickly it is consumed and individual physiological factors.

Alcohol by Volume

Alcohol by volume, or ABV, tells you what percentage of a beverage is alcohol. Drinks of the same size can contain very different amounts of alcohol, so container size alone does not tell you how much alcohol you are consuming.

What Is a Standard Drink?

A standard drink contains approximately the same amount of pure alcohol regardless of the type of beverage. In the United States, one standard drink contains about 0.6 fluid ounces of pure alcohol.

Beer: 12 ounces at about 5% ABV
Wine: 5 ounces at about 12% ABV
Distilled spirits: 1.5 ounces at about 40% ABV

Many beverages contain more than one standard drink. Large cans, strong beers, mixed drinks and high-ABV products can contain considerably more alcohol than their serving size may suggest.

Blood Alcohol Concentration

Blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, is the amount of alcohol present in the bloodstream. BAC rises as alcohol enters the body and decreases as the body processes it.

Factors that can affect BAC include:

The number of standard drinks consumed
How quickly alcohol is consumed
Body size and composition
Biological factors
Whether food was consumed before or while drinking

BAC can continue to rise after someone stops drinking because alcohol may still be entering the bloodstream.

Alcohol's Biphasic Effect

Although alcohol is a depressant, its effects can initially feel stimulating. At lower BAC levels, some people experience increased sociability, energy or euphoria. As BAC rises, impairment and depressant effects become more pronounced.

Continuing to drink in an attempt to maintain the initial effects generally increases impairment rather than extending them.

Tolerance Does Not Lower BAC

A person who has developed a tolerance to alcohol may not feel or appear as intoxicated at a particular BAC. However, tolerance does not lower BAC or protect someone from impaired judgment, injury or alcohol poisoning.

How someone feels is not a reliable way to determine whether they are safe to drive or continue drinking.

Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning occurs when the amount of alcohol in the body begins to interfere with critical functions such as breathing, heart rate and body temperature regulation.

Know the Signs: MUST HELP

M — Mental confusion: The person is severely disoriented or unable to communicate normally.
U — Unresponsive: The person cannot be awakened or does not respond appropriately.
S — Snoring or gasping: Breathing sounds unusual, labored or obstructed.
T — Throwing up: Vomiting while severely intoxicated or unconscious can create a choking risk.
H — Hypothermia: The person's body temperature is dangerously low.
E — Erratic breathing: Breathing is slow, irregular or has stopped.
L — Loss of consciousness: The person passes out and cannot be awakened.
P — Paleness or blue skin: Skin or lips may appear pale, bluish or clammy.

If you see signs of alcohol poisoning, call 911 immediately.

What to Do

Call 911.
Stay with the person until help arrives.
Be prepared to tell emergency responders what the person drank and whether other substances may have been used.
If the person is unconscious but breathing, place them on their side to reduce the risk of choking.
Follow instructions from emergency responders.

Do not leave someone alone, put them in a cold shower, try to make them walk or assume that coffee, food or sleep will reverse alcohol poisoning. Only time allows the body to process alcohol.

Texas 911 Lifeline Law

Texas law provides limited immunity from certain alcohol-related offenses for a person under 21 who seeks emergency medical assistance for someone who may have alcohol poisoning and meets the requirements of the law.

Do not delay calling 911 because you are worried about getting in trouble. Safety comes first.

Reducing Alcohol-Related Risk

If you choose to drink alcohol, planning ahead can reduce the likelihood of alcohol-related harm.

Eat before drinking.
Decide on a limit before you begin drinking.
Know the serving size and ABV of what you are drinking.
Keep track of the number of standard drinks you consume.
Space drinks out rather than drinking quickly.
Drink water throughout the evening.
Avoid mixing alcohol with other substances.
Stay with friends and look out for one another.
Plan transportation before you begin drinking.
Do not drive after drinking or ride with an impaired driver.

Only Time Lowers BAC

Cold showers, coffee, food and exercise do not sober someone up. These things may change how awake a person feels, but they do not speed up the body's processing of alcohol.

Plan a Safe Ride

Make transportation plans before drinking so you do not have to make that decision while impaired.

Explore Raider Ride

Alcohol can affect judgment, communication and a person's ability to make informed decisions. A person who is incapacitated cannot consent to sexual activity.

Consent must be knowingly and voluntarily communicated through mutually understandable words or actions. Consent to one activity does not automatically mean consent to another, and consent can be withdrawn at any time.

If you are unsure whether someone can consent, stop and check in. Do not rely on assumptions, previous consent or a lack of resistance.

Learn About Consent

Alcohol Support & Education

You do not have to wait until alcohol use becomes a crisis to talk with someone. Texas Tech offers education, individualized support and recovery resources for students with different needs and goals.

Substance Use & Wellness Coaching

Meet one-on-one with a trained facilitator to discuss alcohol use, personal goals and strategies that support your health and well-being.

Explore Coaching

Raider Restart

Raider Restart provides individual and group sessions focused on alcohol and cannabis use, including sessions for students referred through the Office of Student Conduct.

View Raider Restart

BASICS

BASICS provides two individualized sessions focused on alcohol use and its relationship to health, wellness and academic success.

View BASICS

Center for Students in Addiction Recovery

The Center provides community, academic support and recovery resources for Texas Tech students pursuing recovery.

Explore Recovery Support