Page 102 - Keys to College Success

KEY 3.4 Levels of alcohol consumption.

Men Women
Lower-risk drinking pattern equaling “having no more than
Moderate 1 drink per day for women and no more than 2 drinks per day
Drinking
for men.”
per day per day

For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming
Heavy an average of three or more drinks per day. For women, + +
Drinking heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming an average
of two or more drinks per day. per day per day

“A pattern of alcohol consumption that brings the blood
alcohol concentration (BAC) level to 0.08% or more. This
Binge pattern of drinking usually corresponds to five or more drinks
Drinking
on a single occasion for men or four or more drinks on a single in 2 hrs. in 2 hrs.
occasion for women, generally within about two hours.”

Source: Centers for Disease Control. “Alcohol and Public Health.” Centers for Disease Control, October 14, 2011. Accessed on October 28, 2011, from http://www.cdc.
gov/alcohol/index.htm

miss classes, perform poorly, experience physical problems (memory loss, headache,
stomach issues), become depressed, and engage in unplanned or unsafe sex. 26
If you drink, think carefully about the effects on your health, safety, and academic
performance. The Get Analytical exercise on page 67 is a self-test that will help you
analyze your habits.

Tobacco
In the United States, one in four men and one in five women smoke. Unfortunately,
cigarette smoking still tops the list as the most preventable cause of death in the United
States today, accounting for 438,000 deaths annually. That’s like three jumbo jets filled
to capacity crashing in the United States every single day, 365 days a year, killing every-
one on board. 27
Many students who use tobacco as a stress reliever become hooked on nicotine, a
highly addictive drug found in all tobacco products. Nicotine’s immediate effects may
include an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, sweating, and throat irritation.
Long-term effects may include high blood pressure, bronchitis and emphysema, stom-
ach ulcers, heart disease, and cancer. E-cigarettes, also known as vape pens, turn a
nicotine-containing liquid into an inhalable aerosol and are a popular recent develop-
ment. They pose particular dangers, including high doses of nicotine and lung damage
from dangerous compounds in the liquid. 28
In recent years, the health dangers of secondhand smoke have been recognized. SECONDHAND SMOKE
Living with smokers or being around them on a regular basis is linked to about 3,000 Smoke in the air exhaled by
lung cancer deaths and 46,000 heart disease deaths per year in nonsmokers. This smokers or given off by Emotional and Physical Wellness
29
awareness has led many colleges to ban smoking in dorm rooms, classrooms, and other cigarettes, cigars, or pipes.
public spaces. More and more companies, aware of the problem, ban smoking in the
workplace or even refuse to hire people who smoke. 30

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