SLIDDE has numerous resources available regarding alcohol and drugs and their impact.
If you are in need of additional information and/or resources or would like assistance with your use, please contact the Counseling & Testing Center at 337-482-6480.
Alcohol poisoning is a severe and potentially fatal physical reaction to an alcohol overdose. It is the most serious consequence of binge drinking. When excessive amounts of alcohol are consumed, the brain is deprived of oxygen. The struggle to deal with an overdose of alcohol and lack of oxygen will eventually cause the brain to shut down the voluntary functions that regulate breathing and heart rate.
The liver is responsible for metabolizing (detoxifying) alcohol and removing it from the body. On average, the liver metabolizes one ounce of alcohol per hour. (One ounce is equivalent to 2.5 ounces of 80 proof hard liquor, 20 ounces of 5% beer, or 7 ounces of 13% wine.) If you consume one ounce of alcohol, your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) will drop to zero about one hour after it is absorbed. Consuming more than one ounce of alcohol per hour means that alcohol levels are building in the bloodstream. Large amounts of alcohol consumed too quickly can lead to alcohol poisoning. Toxic levels occur at around .40 BAC and leads to depression of the Central Nervous System, unconsciousness (passing out), respiratory and/or cardiac failure, coma, and death. Death from alcohol poisoning has occurred in BAC levels as low as .20, especially in individuals who have a low tolerance for alcohol. Vomiting results from the body’s attempt to rid it from toxins. Individuals who pass out from acute alcohol poisoning can vomit while unconscious and asphyxiate.
Symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:
If a person is known to have consumed large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time (binged), NEVER leave a person alone to “sleep off” their alcohol. Alcohol poisoning can result in death. There are also no remedies to “sober up” quickly. Only the passage of time will rid the person’s system of the alcohol.
If a person is exhibiting any signs of alcohol poisoning, call for help immediately. Call 911 or University Police at 337-482-6447 to obtain assistance.
Binge drinking is defined as consuming 5 or more drinks for men and 3 or more drinks for women per occasion. Moderate alcohol use—up to 2 drinks per day for men; one for women. Engaging in binge drinking rapidly increases one’s Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level and increases the risk of negative consequences. Engaging in drinking games and participating in funneling are examples of typical binge drinking situations.
One drink equals:
Consequences of Binge Drinking:
There are many factors that determine the effects of alcohol on a person:
If you or someone you know is struggling with problems due to alcohol, free alcohol/drug screenings, information, and counseling can be obtained from the UL Lafayette Counseling & Testing Center. The center offers unlimited number of sessions, free of charge, to all UL Lafayette students, faculty and staff. Call 337-482-6480 or stop by the Saucier Wellness Center (OK Allen Hall).
A "typical" drink, such as a can of beer, a glass of wine or a shot of liquor, contains over one half ounce of pure alcohol. However, many drinks contain more than the "typical" drink. Some popular drinks and their "typical" drink equivalencies are as follows:
Martini, Manhattan, Black Russian = 2 "Typical" Drinks
Margarita, Daiquiri, Wine Cooler, Ale, Double = 1.5 "Typical" Drinks
Beer, Wine, Sherry, Highball, Liquor = 1 "Typical" Drink
Blood Alcohol Concentration, is a measure of the amount of alcohol in the body. Blood alcohol is measured directly through testing blood or indirectly through tests that use breath, urine or saliva.
Many factors affect an individual's absorption of alcohol. These include weight, sex (a higher proportion of a woman's body weight is in fat and fat absorbs less alcohol than muscle tissue) amount of food in the digestive track and time spent drinking (and the corresponding rate of elimination).
**Louisiana considers a person too intoxicated to drive when his or her BAC reaches .08%.
Most people will be obviously drunk at .08% BAC. Some drinkers can appear to be in control of themselves, but they nevertheless have lost crucial driving abilities.
Reaction Time: Simple reaction time is impaired at .04 BAC. When a driver must choose from a number of responses (choice reaction). Impairment begins at .03% BAC.
Tracking: Monitoring of your car's position on the road is an example of tracking. The ability to track a single object is impaired at .05% BAC. If two or more objects must be tracked at once (your car and another's) performance is reduced at even lower BAC's.
Attention: A person can concentrate on a single task at BAC's as high as .08%. But, if the driver must divide his or her attention between tasks, impairment is present at .05% BAC or lower.
Comprehension: An increase in the time it takes the brain to understand what has been said or heard occurs at .05% BAC.
Vision: Control over eye movement and the ability to merge two images into one show impairment at .05% BAC. The ability to perceive detail in an object in motion also suffers at .05% BAC.
Coordination: BAC's of .05% impair tasks which require highly controlled muscular movements, such as coordination of hands and feet.
Road Test Performance: In driver performance tests, a BAC of .08% impairs accuracy of steering, braking, speed control, lane tracking, gear changing and judgments of speed and distance. Ability to respond to emergencies is impaired at .04%.
What is the Risk?
The risk of being in a crash begins to rise between .04% and .05% BAC and increases rapidly thereafter. By the time a driver reaches a BAC of .06% he or she is twice as likely to be involved in a fatal crash as a non-drinking driver. By the time a driver reaches a BAC of .08%, he or she is 10 times more likely than a non-drinking driver to be involved in a fatal crash. What's more, the higher the BAC level of the driver, the higher the probability that he or she will have been at fault in a crash. Intoxicated drivers are not just unlucky; they cause crashes in which they are involved.
Above information copied from Louisiana Highway Safety Commission’s website
Information brought to you by School Leaders Involved in Drinking and Drug Education (SLIDDE)
If you or someone you know has problems with drugs and/or alcohol, FREE alcohol and drug screenings and counseling are available to you at the Counseling & Testing Center located in OK Allen Hall within the Saucier Wellness Center 337-482-6480.
Warning signs of a substance dependence disorder include the following:
The above is just a partial list of substance dependence warning signs. An individual can have any combination of the above warning signs as well as having additional warning signs that aren’t on the list. If you notice these warning signs in yourself or in another person, please know that help is available. For further information regarding alcohol and drugs, screenings for alcohol/drug dependence disorders, or for help in dealing with alcohol and drug use problems, please contact the UL Lafayette Counseling & Testing Center at 337-482-6480 and set up an appointment to speak with a counselor. The center offers an unlimited number of sessions free of charge to all students, faculty, and staff of the university.
Blood Alcohol Concentration, is a measure of the amount of alcohol in the body. Blood alcohol is measured directly through testing blood or indirectly through tests that use breath, urine or saliva.
Many factors affect an individual's absorption of alcohol, such as:
I’m okay to drive………..
**Louisiana considers a person too intoxicated to drive when his or her BAC reaches .08%.
It is NEVER ok to drive after having consumed alcohol, even if you have had only one drink. The same applies to being under the influence of drugs. After having just one drink or using marijuana and/or other drugs, reaction times have slowed and judgment and coordination becomes impaired. It becomes extremely difficult for your brain to register that the brakes need to be applied or that you are following too close. Reactions take longer to comprehend. Additionally, it becomes harder to “multi-task.” For instance, keeping your car in between the lines while looking ahead at intersections for light changes, monitoring other cars that are on the road, and trying to find your exit or road you are taking.
Alcohol is a depressant. So is marijuana. In other words, they slow down the functions of the Central Nervous System (CNS). The more you use, the stronger the effects will be. Keeping one’s eyes open, controlling eye movement, and focusing on objects are all functions controlled by the CNS. As your BAC rises, vision becomes severely impaired.
Add to these noisy passengers in the car, as well as loud music, and the risk for being involved in a fatal accident increases. Could you live with yourself if you were responsible for the death of someone else on the road because of the decision that you made to drive after drinking or while high? What about the death of one your passengers, maybe a close friend of yours or a significant other?
Don’t think that it can’t or won’t happen to you. IT CAN AND IT WILL! If you are planning to drink, ALWAYS have a designated driver. The designated driver should be someone that has had ZERO to drink and is not under the influence of any drugs; not the person who is the most sober. There is no such thing.
If you or someone you know has problems with drugs and/or alcohol, FREE alcohol and drug screenings and counseling are available to all UL Lafayette students, faculty, and staff at the Counseling & Testing Center located in OK Allen Hall (Saucier Wellness Center), 482-6480.
One “yes” answer suggests a possible substance abuse problem. More than one “yes” answer means it is highly likely that a problem exists.