You've probably seen the flyers on the walls in your dorm, or maybe posted in the bathroom stalls. University students have been able to check how many drinks it takes to raise their blood alcohol content for years. Now, students can keep tally throughout their night on the Corner with a handy little card.
Student Health has been distributing wallet-sized BAC cards to students in an effort to provide easy guidelines for judging states of inebriation, according to the University Health System Web site.
First-year College student Patrick Sledz said he thinks BAC information helps to curb drinking problems at the University.
"They give a visual idea of where you are and how much you've consumed, so you're not just guessing," Sledz said.
On the other hand, some students said they do not think the cards are very useful. In fact, some individuals said providing students with more information about blood alcohol levels can actually have the opposite effect on students' behavior.
"More often than not, people are like, 'Dude, I hit the RED zone last night!'" second-year College student Susan Curl said. "And they think it's cool to reach like a ridiculous level."
In any case, students agree that there are many risks related to high BAC levels, both physical and social.
"When you are at that level, often risks include allowing yourself to do things that aren't healthy and that you may regret later," Sledz said.
Curl elaborated on the dangers of high BAC levels.
"Obviously, there are injuries, and you can wreck personal relationships by saying things you don't mean or wouldn't ordinarily do sober," Curl said.
Both Sledz and Curl agreed that in general, education will not help students significantly.
"Everyone here is reasonably smart, and I think that most people know what they're getting into," Sledz said.
Curl said many University students do not consider what is best for their health when opting to drink.
"I don't think education would help that much here because people who drink are going to keep doing what they are doing regardless of some little piece of paper telling them their blood alcohol content," Curl said. "The amount people drink seems more determined by if they have time or schoolwork to do. If you have an 8 a.m. class and lots of exams or papers you are way less likely to go out and drink."
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