Alcohol Education

The Science Behind Alcohol

Different drinks have different amounts of alcohol by volume (ABV). The higher the ABV of a drink, the more concentrated the drink is.

Blood alcohol content (BAC) is the amount of alcohol in your blood. Your BAC is influenced by sex at birth, body weight, number of standard drinks consumed, and length of time spent drinking.

American Addiction Centers offers a free, online BAC calculator. You can use this tool to estimate your BAC according to your sex assigned at birth, weight, and drinks consumed. 

Alcohol's Biphasic Curve

Alcohol is a known depressant that lowers central functioning. It is the only depressant that also produces a stimulant effect.

The buzzed feeling peaks at a BAC of between .05% and .06%. Once you've reached the depressant level (beyond .1), you will no longer feel the stimulant (buzzed/euphoric) effects of alcohol and will feel the buzzed/dysphoria feeling.

How Alcohol Affects You

Your BAC and tolerance are independent of each other.

Alcohol also enhances what you're feeling in the moment while decreasing your ability to assess risk and consequences. You can have an extremely high BAC even if you don't feel drunk.

• Metabolic tolerance: How the body naturally processes alcohol; what determines BAC.
• Built tolerance: The body's acclimation to regular consumption; the perceived control one has with a certain amount of alcohol in system.
•  Environmental tolerance: Regular cues in routine or typical drinking environment yield a higher tolerance.

Signs of Acohol Poisoning

The first sign of alcohol poisoning is throwing up. This is an indication that someone has surpassed their body's ability to process alcohol.

When someone is intoxicated and cannot sit up by themselves, use the recovery position to ensure they're safe. Never leave an incapacitated person alone.

The 911 Lifeline Law says a person under 21 won't be charged by the police for possessing or consuming alcohol (even if they are underage) if the person calls 911 because someone might have alcohol poisoning. Safety is always the top priority, and this Texas law reflects that. Call for help if any of the MUST HELP acronym applies.

Tips for Safer Drinking

• Eat a full meal before you start drinking.
• Predetermine the number of drinks you'll have before you start drinking.
• Have a plan to get home safely with a sober driver.
• Keep track of the number of standard drinks you consume.
• Drink water between each alcoholic beverage.
• Remember the only thing that makes you more sober is time.

Alcohol & Consent

At least 50 percent of student sexual assaults involve alcohol (American Addiction Centers, 2022). Incapacitation looks different on every person. Sober, safe sex is the best sex.

Texas law states intoxicated consent can never be given, and Texas Tech's policy states that a person cannot consent to sexual activity when they are incapacitated. TTU defines consent as mutually understandable words or actions, actively communicated both knowingly and voluntarily, that clearly convey permission for a specific activity. Consent can be revoked at any time verbally or nonverbally by clearly communicating to the other partner.

For more information, contact Title IX. 

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