Effects of Alcohol

- Health
- Relationships
- Myths

Get Help

Calling the shots starts with you

What if you didn't watch out for your friends during a night of drinking?
Find out what could go wrong, and how you can prevent it.

Personalize the experience

Tell us about yourself

Please enter your name

Please choose a gender

Male Female

Pick two friends to join you

Please enter your name

Please choose a gender

Male Female

Please enter your name

Please choose a gender

Male Female

Experience someone else's night

Can't decide who to bring along?
You can experience the night through someone else's eyes.
We'll fill in the names, you take it from there.

Site Map
Contact
FAQ

X
Getting keys without a fight
Waking up without regret
avoiding the cuffs
not feeling like death
talking it out
defusing drunken arguments
keeping away the creeps
preventing more than hangovers

Getting
keys
without
a fight

Don’t drink and drive. We know, you’ve heard it before. But there’s a good reason that drinking and driving is talked about so much. In the United States, one person is injured in an alcohol-related crash every minute. And someone dies in a drunk-driving crash every 50 minutes¹.

Tip #1: Take preventive action.

You know how it works: your friends have a few drinks and good judgment goes out the window. They get a false sense of ability, thinking they’re not as wasted as they really are. Then it’s difficult to reason with them and get them to make smart choices. Don’t let this happen to your friends: agree beforehand on how they will get home safely. If a decision is made before you go out drinking, there’s a better chance you will stick with that decision. Which brings us to the second tip…

Tip #2: Don’t forget the designated driver.

It’s estimated that designated drivers have saved many thousands of lives, and spared many more people from suffering injury from drunk driving². This approach has the added benefit of having someone there who is completely sober with the sole purpose of driving, so you don’t have to worry about snagging the keys from a drunk buddy.

Tip #3: If you have to, just take the keys.

If your friend insists on driving, go to Plan B. Find their keys while they’re not paying attention and take them away. They’ll be confused and angry at first. But chances are, they’ll think they lost them and will be forced to find another way home.

Health effects of alcohol
How alcohol affects relationships
Myths about alcohol

Waking up
without
regret

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Now all those things you did and said that seemed so funny the night before feel so humiliating. You don’t know how you’ll ever show your face again. If your friend has a tendency to get trashed and do things they’re not too proud of in the morning, there are ways you can help.

Tip #1: Know what you’re drinking, and how much.

Think you only had one or two drinks? One drink is the amount of alcohol your body can process in one hour. That’s equal to about one 12 ounce beer at 4% alcohol, or one 5 ounce glass of wine. But one glass does not necessarily equal one drink:

1 Long Island Iced Tea = 4-5 drinks
1 Cosmopolitan = about 3 drinks
1 Margarita = about 3 drinks
1 Sex on the Beach = about 3 drinks
1 Screwdriver = about 2 drinks¹⁶

Tip #2: Encourage them to avoid alcohol if they are angry or depressed.

It’s tempting to take a friend out to cheer them up if they’re feeling down. But alcohol only tends to intensify whatever mood you’re feeling. So if your friend is angry or depressed, it’s more likely drinking will cause them to act out in ways that may cause embarrassment or worse. So instead of heading to the bar with your friend, go for a walk, check out a movie or make dinner together.

Tip #3: Talk to them when the time is right.

Talking to your friends when the time is right (like when they’re hungover the next day) can go a long way. Use specific examples of things they did or said before that they later regretted. Go out of your way to be supportive and non-judgmental.

Health effects of alcohol
How alcohol affects relationships
Myths about alcohol

Avoiding
the cuffs

Hands cuffed, sitting in the back of a police car is no way to end an evening of celebration. But when you’re drinking too much, it can happen fast. Don’t let your friend end up behind bars after a night out on the town.

Tip #1: Don’t let them drink and drive.

The dreaded DUI: it’s the most common reason people get arrested for drinking. Get one in Pennsylvania and you can count on finding yourself in cuffs—not to mention paying big fines, losing driving privileges and dealing with increased insurance rates. It’s something that could even affect your career. Make sure this doesn’t happen to your friend.

Tip #2: Distract them from bad ideas.

Alcohol is known to increase aggression and the risk of fighting, and doing other stupid things like committing vandalism. If your friend starts getting into it with someone, or is about to start breaking things, try to distract them with something else. Tell a joke, change the subject or say something to lighten the mood—help them understand it’s not worth it.

Tip #3: Make sure your friend knows that "NO" means "NO".

Just because someone is drinking and seems less inhibited doesn’t mean that "No" means "Yes" or "Maybe". Be aware that taking advantage of someone who is under the influence can still be considered rape under the law.

Health effects of alcohol
How alcohol affects relationships
Myths about alcohol

not feeling
like death

Your head is pounding, the light hurts your eyes and you feel like you’re going to vomit. We all know what a hangover feels like. And when your friends wake up with hangovers, they’re no fun at all. Worse yet, if you were out with them the night before, they might blame you.The only guaranteed way to prevent a hangover is to avoid alcohol. But there are other ways you can help your friends avoid feeling miserable the morning after.

Tip #1: Help them know their limits.

Alcohol causes dehydration, lowers blood sugar levels, irritates your stomach lining and has other effects — all of which contribute to hangovers³. About 75% of people who drink to intoxication will have a hangover the next day. But everyone’s limits are different, and each person will be affected by alcohol in different ways. Helping your friends to know their limits and stop drinking when they get there will make for many less sick mornings.

Tip #2: Eat something before drinking. Drink water while drinking.

Alcohol is absorbed more quickly if your stomach is empty. Eat foods rich in carbohydrates and proteins before consuming alcohol. This will help slow the absorption of alcohol into the blood stream through the stomach (it will not stop it completely or keep you from getting drunk). Drinking one glass of water after each alcoholic drink will help you stay hydrated, and help you drink less alcohol. Find ways to keep track of how much you and your friends have had to drink, like saving bottle caps or drink stirrers.

Tip #3: Avoid combining energy drinks with alcohol.

The caffeine and other stimulants in those drinks may mask some of the effects of alcohol and thereby encourage you to drink more. Don’t do it! You’ll be an alert drunk, but a drunk nonetheless. A common cause of hangovers is the dehydration caused by alcohol. Caffeine is a diuretic (it increases urination), so the dehydration can become even worse¹⁷.

Health effects of alcohol
How alcohol affects relationships
Myths about alcohol

talking
it out

It’s not unusual to like to unwind and have a little fun with friends after a stressful week. But some people take it too far. If you think your friend might have a drinking problem, it’s important you talk to them about it and get them the help they need. However, you'll have a much better chance to get your point across if you choose the right time.

Tip #1: Choose the right time and place.

Try talking to your friend shortly after they've experienced a problem related to drinking—maybe while they’re experiencing a bad hangover the day after. This might make them more open to the idea of making a change. Avoid talking to them while they're intoxicated. Wait until the following day when the person is clear-headed and the problem is still fresh in mind. Talk to them in private, somewhere you won’t be disturbed.

Tip #2: Don’t lecture and avoid generalizing.

Scolding your friend or sounding preachy may only increase their resistance to hearing the truth and getting help. Don’t call your friend an alcoholic or demand they get treatment. Use specific examples of how their drinking is causing harm. Don’t generalize and say things like “you always…” Be sure to distinguish between the person and the behavior. "I think you're a great person, but the more you drink, the less you seem to care about what’s important." Focus on consequences, explaining how their drinking is hurting them. Stay calm, show understanding and encourage your friend to seek professional help.

Tip #3: Don’t get discouraged if they become angry or deny the problem.

When you talk to your friend, they might deny that anything is wrong. They may even get angry with you. Denial is just another symptom of alcoholism. After your friend has a chance to cool down, they might take your message to heart. If they do agree to get help, have phone numbers or contact information available on the spot so they don’t have a chance to change their minds.

Health effects of alcohol
How alcohol affects relationships
Myths about alcohol

defusing
drunken
arguments

You’re out enjoying good times with friends. Then one of them starts exchanging words with the person next to them. Drunken, angry words. Next thing you know they are drawn into a fight, and your friend is either injured or sitting in the back of a patrol car. Was there anything you could have done to prevent this? Maybe so…

Tip #1: Take preventive action.

Alcohol can increase aggression, leading to dangerous behavior like fighting. Some people are more prone to getting into drunken arguments and fights than others. If one of your friends is like this, help make sure they don’t get themselves in trouble—encourage them to pace themselves when drinking, making sure they eat food beforehand and drink lots of water while drinking alcohol. Help them to avoid alcohol if they are already in an angry mood, as alcohol tends to intensify whatever mood you’re already feeling.

Tip #2: Create a distraction.

People have a hard time focusing on more than one thing when they’re drunk. If your friend starts getting into it with someone at a bar, create a distraction. Tell a joke, change the subject or say something to lighten the mood—help them understand it’s not worth it. Try to get other friends in your group to do the same. If they turn on you or get even more angry, do not get involved in an argument or in any way risk getting drawn into a fight yourself.

Tip #3: Be calm.

Your speech, reactions and body language have an impact on others, so use them to be a calming influence.

Health effects of alcohol
How alcohol affects relationships
Myths about alcohol

Keeping away
the creeps

The creep: that weird person you don’t want to have anything to do with, but won’t leave you alone. Staring at you. Following you around. It can be more than just an annoyance—it can be dangerous. But one of the many great things about friendship is friends look out for each other. There are things you can do to keep the creeps where they belong: as far away as possible.

Tip #1: Stay together.

Binge drinking is a risk factor for sexual assault. It can affect a person’s judgment and lower awareness, so they may miss signals of danger. People who are alone (vs. in groups) can be easier targets. Your best protection against the creep is your friends, so stay together to stay safe.

Tip #2: Don’t judge someone by how they look.

Not all creeps advertise their creepiness by looking filthy and nasty. Looks can be deceiving. You might meet someone who is very attractive and well-dressed, but is a creep nonetheless. Evaluate a person’s character by their words and actions—not by their looks.

Tip #3: Beware the creep you know.

Most sexual assaults are by acquaintances. And in many assaults either the victim, the perpetrator or both are under the influence of alcohol.

Health effects of alcohol
How alcohol affects relationships
Myths about alcohol

Preventing
more than
Hangovers

Men and women who binge drink are more likely to have unprotected sex and multiple sex partners—increasing the risk of unintended pregnancy and STDs⁶. But you can help your friends avoid dangerous decisions that might have lifelong consequences.

Tip #1: Help them stay in control.

Binge drinking can cause good friends to make bad decisions. They may not know where to draw the line when on a date, or when to leave before things go too far. They might forget to use protection and risk getting an STD. Help them stay in control so they are aware of what they’re doing and can make good decisions. Eating a meal before drinking will make the alcohol be absorbed more slowly, and drinking plenty of water throughout the night will help keep them hydrated and drink less alcohol. Be extra careful with mixed drinks, and always keep track of how many drinks you and your friends have had. Make sure they pace themselves and don’t drink too much too fast.

Tip #2: Have a plan for the night.

Before going out, talk to your friends about how you'll get home, exact times and places you will meet up and general ground rules for your group. Stay together and look out for your friends when you’re with other groups of people.

Tip #3: Encourage them to avoid alcohol if they are angry or depressed.

Alcohol tends to intensify whatever mood you’re feeling. So if your friend is angry or depressed, it’s more likely that drinking will cause them to act out in ways that may be dangerous to themselves. Don’t take them out drinking to “cheer them up”. It may not work.

Health effects of alcohol
How alcohol affects relationships
Myths about alcohol

Myths