Know Your Limit

A key component of a healthy relationship with alcohol is to experience its positive effects by drinking the least amount possible.

So, what is the right amount for you?

If you choose to drink, we recommend gradually reaching a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of no more than .06%. As the chart below indicates, a BAC between .01% and .06% is typically associated with feeling 'buzzed' or 'tipsy.'

Use a BAC calculator to see how much it takes to stay in the 'social zone.' Notice how sex, weight and drinking speed affect your BAC.

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)		Inward Experience	Outward Behaviors
Social Zone	.01%-.06%	Slight euphoria Sense of relaxation Feel ‘tipsy’ Lower inhibitions Thought process slowed Lowered alertness Judgment and caution reduced Coordination slightly impaired	Joyous Relaxed Loss of inhibition – more outgoing, talkative, social
Risky Zone	.07%-.10%	Dulled sensations Further lowering of inhibitions Impaired sexual pleasure Impaired depth/distance perception Judgment and coordination increasingly impaired	Slowed reflexes Reasoning impaired Risk taking increases Extroversion increases: even more talkative, louder, boisterous
	.11%-.20%	Feeling fatigued Euphoria diminishes Severely impaired judgment and perception Severely impaired gross motor coordination	Staggering, stumbling Slurred speech Slowed reaction time Less/no visible pain response Emotional swings or over-expression of emotions, possibly anxious or uneasy
Danger Zone	.21%-.29%	Memory blackout Loss of understanding, comprehension Further dulling of sensations	Vomiting Stupor – no sense or sensibility Extreme sluggishness Inability to stand or sit upright Unconscious/passed out/unresponsive
	.30% -.39%	Unconsciousness or coma Death possible	Unconscious/passed out/unresponsive Slow or irregular breathing Bluish, cold or clammy skin Slowed heart rate Loss of bladder function
	>.40%	Unconsciousness or coma Death likely	Unconscious/passed out/unresponsive Slow or irregular breathing Bluish, cold or clammy skin Slowed heart rate

If You Choose to Drink...

Be smart!

The key to optimizing the effects of alcohol (and to reduce the chance of something regrettable happening) is to reach the 'social zone' slowly and then stay there. Here are some ways to do that:

• Set a low-risk limit in advance. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines 'low risk' drinking as follows: For MEN, no more than 4 drinks on any single day and no more than 14 per week. For WOMEN, no more than 3 drinks on any single day and no more than 7 per week. Based on one's health and other factors, some people need to drink less or not at all.
• Pace drinks to about one an hour
• Have a plan for how to turn down (or delay) a drink
• Keep track of the number of drinks consumed
• Steer clear of drinking games
• Avoid shots
• Have a non-alcoholic beverage, like water, between drinks
• Eat food before and while drinking
• Hang out with people who don't make drinking the main event
• Stick with trusted friends

If You Choose NOT to Drink...

That's ok!

Choosing not to drink is always an option. Thirty percent of NU undergraduates report they don't drink in an average week (according to a 2010 survey taken by over 1,200 undergrads. See the Real NU Party Habits page for more survey results).

Choosing not to drink might be best if you:

• Are under 21
• Have a medical condition that can be made worse by drinking
• Are pregnant
• Haven't eaten
• Are sick, run down or tired
• Are angry, lonely or sad
• Are taking prescription or over-the-counter medication
• Have consumed illicit drugs
• Have a family history of substance abuse or dependence
• Have an exam, presentation or athletic event the next day
• Are going to be driving soon
• Have religious or cultural reasons for abstaining
• Have an allergy to alcohol
• Just don't want to