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Alcohol

Hokie Wellness has various resources available for students to learn about alcohol and make smart decisions to maximize positive social outcomes and reduce or eliminate negative outcomes associated with alcohol.

The majority of students at Virginia Tech choose to drink less than once a week or not at all! For Hokies that choose to drink, we encourage them to Party Positive by keeping their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) between 0.00 and 0.06.

In order to estimate your BAC, you can use our Party Positive Card to determine approximately how many standard drinks you can consume to stay in the Party Positive Zone (BAC at or below .06).

Party Positive

Understanding Alcohol

If you choose to drink, it is important to undertand how alcohol affects your body and the factors that impact your BAC.

Main Factors

  • Weight: The less someone weighs, the less body water and mass they have to absorb the alcohol, which means they'll have a higher concentration of alcohol in their bloodstream and a higher BAC.
  • Sex Assigned at Birth: Males tend to be able to process higher amounts of alcohol faster.
  • Standard Drinks: The number of standard drinks you consume.
  • Time: The faster you drink, the faster your BAC rises.

Other Factors

  • Food: Alcohol consumed while/after eating food is absorbed slower because it spends more time in the stomach.
  • Type of Alcohol: Different alcohols have different ABVs or alcohol by volume percentages.
  • Tolerance: A progressive state when the body becomes accustomed to alcohol and over time the individual drinking will need to consume more to achieve the same effect.
  • Other Liquids: Carbonated beverages speed up the alcohol absorption process, causing your BAC to rise more quickly.
  • Family History: If a family member has experienced a substance use disorder, it increases the likelihood that you will also experience it.
  • Medication: Some medications can amplify the effects of alcohol on your body. Always talk to your doctor if you plan to drink while taking prescribed medication.

In addition to understanding what influences your BAC, use these safer drinking strategies to stay in the Party Positive Zone.

  • Choose if, when, and what you drink
  • Pace and space your drinks
  • Count number of standard drinks
  • Eat before and while drinking
  • Stay hydrated
  • Designate a substance-free driver

How to Help a Friend

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

  • Respiration is less than 8 breaths per minute (typical rate is 12-18 breaths per minute)
  • Breathing is irregular
  • No pain response; no response to a shoulder pinch
  • Unconsciousness; if you cannot wake the person up
  • Vomiting while asleep, unconscious, or repeatedly
    • Sometimes it doesn't feel abnormal for someone to throw up during or after drinking, but even if they aren't exhibiting some of these other signs, vomiting is an early warning that our body is giving us that says "no more".

IF ANY of these exist, seek medical help immediately.

  • After you call 911, place them in the recovery position and stay by their side until help arrives.

"Good Samaritan" Policy

Virginia Tech does not want students to feel as though they are choosing between conduct consequences and seeking help. If medical assistance is sought, Student Conduct will not pursue conduct charges against the individual or organization who sought assistance, or the individual in need of assistance.

If you or someone you know is concerned about your/their alcohol use, complete this brief anonymous ScreenU assessment to receive personalized feedback related to your/their substance use.

Additional Resources

Policy and Education Philosophy

Virginia Tech believes that decisions concerning substance use are a personal choice, and that students should make informed decisions. We encourage students to make legal and low-risk decisions to reduce or eliminate negative outcomes.

This section is designed to provide information on substance misuse prevention efforts at Virginia Tech. You will find a number of suggestions regarding what you can do to prevent negative consequences resulting from alcohol use. If, after exploring this site, you would like further information or have questions concerning substance misuse prevention at Virginia Tech, please contact Hokie Wellness at 540-231-2233.

Alcohol Judicial Policy and Practice

Virginia Tech is an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia and, as such, enforces the laws of the Commonwealth, including the prohibition of underage consumption of alcoholic beverages. Students who violate that law (also a university policy) will face appropriate action and sanctions. Some educational materials on this site promote low-risk alcohol consumption for those who choose to consume alcohol and should not be construed as endorsing or promoting underage consumption.

Educational Philosophy

Virginia Tech believes that decisions concerning alcohol consumption are a personal choice, and that students should make informed alcohol use decisions. For those students who are not 21, the only legal choice is to abstain from drinking. However, for those who choose to consume alcohol, we recommend that they consume alcohol in a low-risk and legal manner to reduce or eliminate negative outcomes associated with alcohol use.

Choice Equals Accountability

While we believe that decisions concerning alcohol consumption are a personal choice, we encourage students to make legal and low-risk decisions concerning their alcohol use decisions. When students make illegal or high-risk choices concerning alcohol, we hold them accountable for their actions. For more information, visit the Virginia Tech Alcohol Policies section.

We also encourage students to speak up when their friends, peers and neighbors make choices that have a negative impact on their lives. To learn more about this program, visit the Speak Up - Speak Out section.

Why teach low risk drinking?

While it is important for the university to enforce Commonwealth Alcohol Laws, we also have a duty to implement effective alcohol abuse prevention programs and strategies. Some of the most effective strategies are based on the concept of "harm reduction." Harm reduction refers to strategies that attempt to reduce the frequency and severity of negative outcomes related to alcohol use. Research indicates that harm-reduction strategies are one of the most effective approaches for reducing alcohol use and abuse among college students. Thus, one of the major strategies we use is to provide information that will assist those students who choose to drink to reduce alcohol-related negative outcomes.