Alcohol and Other Drugs

Alcohol Fast Facts

Did you know that despite what stereotypes exist, not everyone chooses to drink while in college? Some reasons for abstaining from alcohol include:

Dietary restrictions
Religious or spiritual reasons
Student athlete responsibilities
Medical reasons
Personal preference

Whether or not you choose to consume alcohol, it’s important to respect your friends and peers who don’t!

In fact, data from the 2017 NCHA survey found that UNLV student perceptions of alcohol use were vastly different from actual alcohol use:

View Chart In Table Format

Perceived Use		Actual Use
Male	90.4%	Male	49.8%
Female	93.9%	Female	52.8%

Additionally, data from the same survey found that most students believed that only a small percentage of the campus population chooses to abstain from alcohol, when in fact approximately a quarter of both male UNLV students and female UNLV students have never used alcohol!

Standard Drink Sizes

Do you know how much alcohol is in your drink? Use the infographic to help understand alcohol by volume (alc/vol).

View Chart In Table Format

Standard Drink Sizes
Type of Drink	Size (ounces)	Alcohol Content
Regular Beer	12 fl oz	5%
Malt Liquor	8-9 fl oz	7%
Table Wine	5 fl oz	12%
80-Proof Spirit	1.5 fl oz	40%

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)

Remember that the only safe BAC for operating a vehicle is .00. Always use a designated driver or ride share service to get yourself home safely! There are many factors that can influence a person’s BAC, but in general you can use the table to help estimate your BAC.

Remember to be mindful of standard drink sizes to estimate how much alcohol is actually in your drink!

Blood Alcohol Content levels by weight of person and number of drinks.

View Chart in Table Format

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) for Male (M) and Female (F)
Number of Drinks	M/F	Body Weight in Pounds								Driving Condition
		100	120	140	160	180	200	220	240
0	M	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	Only Safe Drivng Limit is BAC 0.00
0	F	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	Only Safe Drivng Limit is BAC 0.00
1	M	0.06	0.05	0.04	0.04	0.03	0.03	0.03	0.02	Driving Skills Impaired at BAC 0.01-0.07
1	F	0.07	0.06	0.05	0.04	0.04	0.03	0.03	0.03
2	M	0.12	0.10	0.09	0.07	0.07	0.06	0.05	0.05
2	F	0.13	0.11	0.09	0.08	0.07	0.07	0.06	0.06
3	M	0.18	0.15	0.13	0.11	0.10	0.09	0.08	0.07
3	F	0.20	0.17	0.14	0.12	0.11	0.10	0.09	0.08	Legally Intoxicated at BAC 0.08 or greater
4	M	0.24	0.20	0.17	0.15	0.13	0.12	0.11	0.10
4	F	0.26	0.22	0.19	0.17	0.15	0.13	0.12	0.11
5	M	0.30	0.25	0.21	0.19	0.17	0.15	0.14	0.12
5	F	0.33	0.28	0.24	0.21	0.18	0.17	0.15	0.14

Binge Drinking

The national Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge-drinking as:

5 or more drinks for a male, and 4 or more drinks for a female in about 2 hours

Binge-Drinking is common in college and in general in young adult populations, but it’s also extremely dangerous to your health and can have negative impacts on your academic performance!

Binge-drinking has been very normalized in young adult party culture but is still extremely dangerous and can lead to alcohol poisoning, life-threatening signs of alcohol poisoning include:

Inability to wake up
Vomiting
Slow/shallow breathing
Seizures
Blue tinged skin, and lips; cold to touch

If you see anyone experiencing these symptoms, get them medical help immediately. Do not wait. It is not worth it to risk someone's life and delay medical attention.

Life-threatening signs of alcohol poisoning graphic

Help and Resources

Students interested in learning more about their alcohol use, or students seeking recovery services from drugs or alcohol, may contact CAPS at 702-895-3627 or email caps@unlv.edu. Please note that the CAPS email and phone are staffed during CAPS business hours.

Alcohol and Impaired Driving Alcohol Use and Your Health

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