Alcohol and Your Wellbeing
Part of your well-being journey is understanding how alcohol or drug use can impact your academic, personal, and social life. This page can provide effective education, prevention, and intervention resources to help reduce the negative impact of alcohol and other drug abuse on the MIT community.
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) refers to the percent of alcohol (ethyl alcohol or ethanol) in a person’s bloodstream.
A BAC of .10% means that an individual’s blood supply contains one part alcohol for every 1000 parts blood.
The desirable effects of alcohol tend to occur in low doses, and the risk of experiencing the undesirable effects of alcohol increases as BAC rises.
Factors that influence BAC include:
- the amount of alcohol a drinker consumes
- the rate at which a person drinks
- the drinker’s weight and body mass
- the amount of blood that is mixing with the alcohol
- gender – women have less of the enzyme that metabolizes alcohol in their stomachs, on average they weigh less and they have less blood volume than men do, even at equal weight.
- the amount of food in the stomach – a full stomach slows the pace at which alcohol is absorbed. However, eating before drinking will not prevent high BAC’s from occurring.
You can calculate your estimated Blood Alcohol Concentration by using this BAC Calculator. Visit the AmericanAddictionCenters website to learn more about BAC and the effects of alcohol on your body.
This means Alcohol produces two different effects based on dose.
With a BAC of .055% or less: People tend to feel a “buzz”, euphoria, and stimulant effects.
A BAC above .055%: The depressant effects of alcohol kick in – which may result in slurred speech, impairment, loss of memory, sickness, etc.
The Point of Diminishing Returns (BAC of .055) is the point at which drinking more will NOT make you feel better and will only make you more impaired. Any desirable effects of alcohol tend to occur in low doses, and the risk of experiencing the undesirable effects of alcohol increases as BAC rises. Any desirable effects of alcohol tend to occur in low doses, and the risk of experiencing the undesirable effects of alcohol increases as BAC rises.
It is important to factor in tolerance if you are planning to drink. After several drinking occasions, consumption of a constant amount of alcohol produces a lesser effect or increasing amounts of alcohol are necessary to produce the same effect.
BAC is not affected by tolerance. A drinker with a high tolerance may not feel as impaired as they actually are, despite having a high BAC.
Be familiar with the signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning. If someone exhibits just one, you should get help by calling MIT Police at (617) 253-1212 or DIAL 100 (on a campus phone). MIT’s Good Samaritan Amnesty Policy means we treat this as a health and safety matter, not as a disciplinary incident. The call will be responded to by qualified EMTs and you or your friends won’t get into trouble, no matter how many times you make the call to help a friend.
Signs of alcohol poisoning and drug overdose:
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Danger: Call for Help Immediately
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Caution: Still Call for Help
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MIT strives to empower students to make their own choices about alcohol – we focus on safety by reducing risk. Below are strategies that may help students to enjoy alcohol while minimizing the risk of experiencing negative consequences.
If you choose to drink, consider using these lower-risk drinking strategies:
- Eat before and while drinking
- Set a drinking limit near a BAC of .05
- Keep track of how much you drink by counting “standard drinks”
- Space drinks over time
- Alternate alcoholic beverages and drinks without alcohol
- Mix and measure your own drinks when consuming mixed drinks
- Avoid or limit shots of hard alcohol
- Avoid mixing alcohol with energy drinks
- Avoid drinking games
- Use a “buddy system” with your friends
Alcohol Self-Assessment Tool – This confidential online tool will provide you with personalized feedback about your drinking patterns, specific health and personal consequences, unique personal and family risk factors, and campus and community support services. The program takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention – Arm yourself with the knowledge and tools to make healthy, informed decisions when it comes to prescription medications in this 30-40 minute Atlas online course. Topics include:
- Opioids, stimulants, and depressants
- Proper prescription drug use, storage, and disposal
- Brain and body: the science of addiction
- Simulations: refusal and bystander skills
- Debunking common myths
AlcoholEDU Ongoing Education – This 20-30 minute online course in Atlas is designed to help returning students explore how to make informed decisions about alcohol and other drugs so that they can reach their academic and personal goals. Topics include:
- Factors that impact level of intoxication
- Physiological effects of alcohol on the body
- Effects of mixing alcohol with prescription and recreational drugs
- Federal and state laws pertaining to cannabis and alcohol
- Skills for intervening in an overdose emergency
- How to help a friend who might have a problem
BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students) – A confidential alcohol or drug assessment focused on understanding social habits, supporting your health and safety, and accessing campus resources. Please use this form to schedule your meeting.
- Weekends@MIT– Part of the Wellbeing Ambassadors program, this student group hosts substance-free weekend social events in the Wellbeing Lab. Visit the Wellbeing Lab events calendar to check out upcoming events.
- Relevant MIT Policies –
- Alcohol Policy
- Other Drug Policy (Prohibited Substances)
- Good Samaritan Amnesty Policy
- Requirement to Obtain Medical Assistance for Emergencies Involving Alcohol and Prohibited Substances
- Institute Imposed Sanctions for Violations of Alcohol and Prohibited Substances Policies
- Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA)