Having Fun & Playing It Safe

Many UT students like to go out with friends and have a good time. For some, this may involve alcohol. While most students drink in moderation, sometimes having a great time with friends may turn into a situation involving hangovers, memory loss, physical and sexual violence, and an assortment of preventable negative consequences related to high-risk alcoholic drinking and drug use.

Playing It Safe
Avoiding Alcohol/Drug-Related Problems

Taking some risks is expected and a normal part of the college experience. Setting a few guidelines will help you and your friends to avoid problems that may have a lasting impact on your life and that of your friends. The goal is to reduce the likelihood of harm to yourself or others by:

thinking and planning ahead,
setting low to moderate drinking and other drug use limits,
eliminating unreasonable risks where possible, and
reducing the number of negative consequences.

What You Can Do

UT students use a variety of simple techniques to reduce the risk and potential harm associated with drinking. Research shows that the more techniques a person uses, the less likely he/she will experience negative consequences (i.e., hangovers, regret, memory loss, etc.). For example, UT students can do three or more of the following to reduce alcohol related risks:

Choose safe and familiar settings in which to drink
Drink with people you know and trust
Use a designated driver
Set a limit and stick to it
Count your drinks
Know the Bacchus Maneuver (Correctly positioning a person who has passed out from alcohol use so that they don’t choke if they vomit.)
Learn how to say, "No thanks" and "No more"
Avoid all drinking games
Eat something before and while you drink
Alternate alcoholic with non-alcoholic drinks
Avoid drinking while taking medications
Mix your own drinks or know exactly what's in them
Have a plan to get home safely
Pace drinks to one or fewer per hour