• Not all U of S students drink!  Almost 30% report that they have not drank alcohol in the last month or last 12 months.  If you have chosen not to drink, you are not alone.
• Most students don't binge drink! Of those who drink, almost half drink less than five drinks when they party.
• Most students don't drive after drinking. 89% of students report using a designated driver if they’ve been drinking.           

U of S Health Assessment Survey, 2019

It’s great to celebrate a win, but just remember that alcohol can work against you by possibly damaging your performance as an athlete or hindering your progress to be a fit and healthy person.

Drinking may...

• Cause excess weight gain. Fat builds up with alcohol intake.
• Weakens the heart's ability to function effectively and efficiently.
• Dehydrate you, which reduces your stamina.
• Decreases your overall performance:  decision making, strength, balance, coordination, muscular and cardiovascular endurance, speed, agility, and metabolism are all reduced.

If You Choose to Drink and Be Active

• Avoid alcohol 48 hours before training or playing sports.
• Rehydrate with non-alcoholic drinks after your exercise and then eat.  After that, drink moderately and responsibly.

There is little doubt that alcohol use has a damaging effect on academic performance. Alcohol affects your whole body, but the most profound effects are on the brain which can persist for long periods of time.

4.5% of U of S students reported alcohol use affecting their individual academic performance.

Drinking may...

• Affect the brain cells that are associated with memory, coordination, and judgment. This explains why you forget what you did, stumbled around, and did something you later regretted.
• Shorten your attention span for up to 48 hours after drinking.
• Take up your valuable study time or cause you to skip class from being hungover.

If You Choose to Drink and Do Well in School

• Get your work done before drinking.
• Limit drinking to the weekends.
• Follow the drinking guidelines, even on weekends.

Many people use alcohol to enhance their romantic and sexual feelings, which is usually fine. However, alcohol is often the cause of problematic sexual outcomes such as unplanned pregnancy, sexual dysfunction, and transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Approximately 21.5% of U of S students report having unprotected sex while under the influence of alcohol.

Drinking may...

• Decrease arousal and sexual response.
• Reduce the likelihood of any sex discussion (e.g., both parties truly consenting, sexual history, and birth control methods).
• Increase the risk of unwanted sexual contact.
• Impair judgement and decision-making, thereby increasing your chance of engaging in risky sexual behaviour.

If You Choose to Drink and Be Sexually Active

• Bring condoms when going out.
• Stick with your friends and don’t go with people you have just met or people you don’t know well.

All drinking involves risk. Typically high risk means more than five drinks in one sitting for men, more than four drinks in one sitting for women, or drinking to get drunk.  If you choose to drink, please don’t be a high risk drinker!

High Risk Drinking Can Lead To

• Regret.
• Violence and injuries.
• Unwanted or unplanned sexual activity.
• Poor academic performance.
• Memory loss and "blacking out."
• Alcohol poisoning.

Frequent High Risk Drinking Can Lead To

• Acute illnesses and respiratory infections (e.g., the flu, colds, and sinus problems).
• Neurological problems, including impaired motor skills, deterioration of vision, seizures, and permanent brain damage.
• Liver cirrhosis, various cancers, high blood pressure, and heart problems.
• Lifelong alcohol abuse.

People can experience alcohol poisoning and do not even realize it. Alcohol can slow down many bodily functions including breathing and the gag reflex (which prevents choking). This can lead to the point of unconsciousness, after which your heart and lungs have the potential to stop.

If someone passes out because they are really drunk, leaving them to “sleep it off” is a dangerous idea.

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

• Recently consumed alcohol.
• Clammy, pale skin.
• Vomiting.
• May have seizures.
• Slow or irregular breathing.
• Low body temperature.
• Unable to be woken up.
• Unconciousness.

DO NOT LEAVE SOMEONE WHO HAS PASSED OUT TO “SLEEP IT OFF!"

If You Think Someone Has Alcohol Poisoning

1. Try to wake the person. If you cannot, or they exhibit any signs of alcohol poisoning, call 9-1-1.
2. Position the person onto their side so the person doesn’t roll over onto their back where they can choke on their vomit.
3. Check skin colour or temperature.  Pale/bluish and clammy skin means they are not getting enough oxygen.
4. Monitor the person’s breathing. Call an ambulance if the person has irregular or slow breathing.

If you aren’t sure  if the individual is suffering from alcohol poisoning, CALL FOR HELP.

Canada's Low Risk Drinking Guidelines (LRDG)

• For men: 15 drinks a week, with no more than three drinks a day most days.
• For women: 10 drinks a week, with no more than two drinks a day most days.

Why Follow LRDG?

• Better academic success.
• Improved health and reduced long-term health risks.
• Better finances (due to less drink expenses).
• Reduces harm to brain development.
• Less regrets.

On Special Occasions

Reduce your risk of injury and harm by drinking no more than four drinks (men) or three drinks (women) on any single occasion. Always drink in a safe environment

When Zero is the Limit

• When driving a vehicle or using machinery and tools
• Are pregnant or suspect you may be pregnant, wanting to get pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
• On medication.
• Don't want to.
• Don't believe you can drink responsibly.
• Living with mental or physical health problems.
• When you're under 20 years old and alcohol can harm development. If you choose to drink, stick with no more than one to two drinks, and never more than one to two times per week.

Be Smart

• Avoid drinking games.
• Alternate drinks with water.
• Eat before you go out and while you're drinking.
• Drink slowly and stay within the limit of two drinks every two hours.
• Avoid carbonated/caffeinated mixes as it speeds up alcohol absorption.

Zero Tolerance for Alcohol or Drugs

•  Zero tolerance for alcohol or drugs for drivers 21 and under and for all new drivers (60-day license suspension on 1st offence still applies).

• 3-day vehicle seizure for experienced drivers with .04 to .08 BAC on a 1st offence.
  

Ignition Interlock Duration

•  .08 to .159 BAC or impaired:
  • 1st offence — 1 year
  • 2nd offence — 3 years
  • 3rd and subsequent offences — 10 years
•  Over .16 BAC or refuse breath sample:
  • 1st offence — 2 years
  • 2nd offence — 5 years
  • 3rd and subsequent offences — 10 years
•  Zero BAC for new drivers and drivers 21 and under:
  • 3rd offence — mandatory ignition interlock for 365 days, after 365-day suspension

Strengthened Cellphone Legislation

•  Drivers prohibited from holding, viewing, using, or manipulating a cellphone while driving.

Facts about Saskatchewan

• Saskatchewan had far more impaired driving charges in 2015 than other provinces — more than twice as many as Manitoba.
• 575 drunk driving charges per 100,000 population is nearly triple the national rate, and over five times the rate in Ontario.
• Saskatchewan has a relatively young population, and they have a high incidence of impaired driving deaths.
• Statistics Canada reported that Saskatchewan had the highest impaired driving rate among the provinces in 2015.
• There were nearly 1,200 impaired driving collisions in Saskatchewan during 2015, killing 54 people and injuring 580 others.

How to Be Safe

• Have a non-drinking designated driver.
• Call a cab or a relative for a ride.
• Stay the night.
• Drink in moderation and know the Low Risk Drinking Guidelines (LRDG).
• Participate in non-alcohol activities.
• Eat a good meal before going out and eat food as you drink — food helps slow the absorption of alcohol.

What is Drunkorexia?

Drunkorexia is a non-medical term coined by popular media that describes the combination of extreme dieting behaviours and binge drinking. It also refers to extreme weight-control behaviours to compensate for planned binge drinking.

Symptoms

• Counting daily calorie intake, or “calorie counting”, to ensure weight is not gained when consuming alcohol.
• Missing or skipping meals to conserve calories for consumption of alcohol beverages.
• Excessive exercise to balance out calories consumed from alcohol.
• Ingesting extreme amounts of alcohol to induce vomiting of previously digested food.

Risks and Dangers

Drinking on an empty stomach results in greater alcohol toxicity. This can lead to:

• Alcohol poisoning.
• Unintentional injuries and violence.
• Brain and organ damage.
• Poor nutritional status.
• Memory lapses and poor academic performance.

Why It Doesn’t Work

• Alcohol often contains far more calories than a balanced meal and has far less nutritional value.
• Calorie restriction lowers your blood sugar which makes you crave and eat (or drink) even more.

Who is at Risk?

• Women are more likely to report symptoms that describe drunkorexia (Bryant et al (2012)).
• 45% of college women report restricting their caloric intake on drinking days as compared to 29% of men (McCoy and Wagoner (2009)).
• Multiple investigations have found positive association between the severity of dieting and binging and the frequency and intensity of alcohol use in women during their first year of college (Krahn et al., 2004; Stewart et al., 2000).

Healthier Alternatives

• Eat a meal prior to going out for a night of drinking.
• Participate in social activities that do not involve alcohol and promote physical activity.
• Know the Low Risk Drinking Guidelines (LRDG).
• Practice positive self-talk and body positivity.

Positive Affirmations

Take the pledge to be kinder to yourself. For example:

• "We define who we are, not the media."
• "I'm proud of my healthy body and want to keep it that way."
• "I'm able because I think I'm able."

Student life can be stressful when trying to balance responsibilities and a social life. When stress occurs students sometimes turn to alcohol as a form of relief. However, this technique doesn’t alleviate your stress, it only masks it. Thankfully, there are other ways to cope with stress without reaching for the bottle. Some ideas includes:

• Deep breathing (in for four counts, hold for two counts, exhale for five counts).
• Exercise (e.g., go for a walk, jog, or do yoga).
• Take a bath.
• Watch a video that will make you laugh or smile.
• Talk to friends and family.

Top Ten Party Snacks

1. Popcorn
2. Veggies and dip
3. Fruit
4. Salsa
5. Spinach dip with pita chips
6. Mixed nuts
7. Guacamole
8. Salami and cheese
9. Bruschetta
10. Crackers and hummus

Activities to Try

• Rock climbing
• Batting cages
• Bowling
• Hiking
• Swimming
• Golfing
• Trampoline park
• Frisbee
• Skiing

• Health Canada
• 2019 ACHA-National College Health Assessment
• College Drinking Prevention

If you are concerned with your drinking habits, you are certainly not alone. The University of Saskatchewan has numerous resources that you can turn to:

• Student Wellness Centre 306-966-5768
• Sexual Assault Information Centre 306-244-2294
• SHA Community Addictions Services 306-655-7777

Safer Substance Use

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