ALCOHOL EDUCATION
Thinking about moderating your drinking?
The Biphasic response | Date Rape Drugs | Calculate Your BAC (Blood Alcohol Content)

Decide what you want from drinking alcohol.

• Think about the pros and cons (short and long term) for moderating you use versus maintaining the status quo.
• Also consider what you absolutely want to avoid when you drink.

Set drinking limits.

• What’s your upper limit on the number of drinks you consume per week?
• At what point do you decide you’ve had enough (consider a BAL limit)?
• What’s the maximum number of days for drinking you will choose to give yourself?
• Use standard guidelines to determine what constitutes one drink: 1 ¼ ounces of 80-proof spirits; 4 ounces of wine; 10 ounces of beer with 5% alcohol (ice beer and many microbrews); 12 ounces of beer with 4% alcohol (standard beer).

Count your drinks and monitor your drinking behavior.

• Try it! Most people are surprised by what they learn when they actually count how much they drink.
• Simply observe your behavior – this is like standing outside yourself and watching how your are acting when you are drinking.

Alter how and what you drink.

• Switch to drinks that contain less alcohol (e.g., light beers).
• Slow down your pace of drinking.
• Space drinks further apart.
• Alternate drinking nonalcoholic beverages with alcoholic drinks.

Manage your drinking in the moment.

• Stay awake and on top of how you drink and what you’re drinking when you’re at a party.
• Choose what’s right for you.

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Source: Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS): A Harm Reduction Approach.