The decision to use alcohol or not is a personal choice for which each person is accountable. Each of us, at any age, is responsible for the consequences of our decisions. It is important to establish and follow personal guidelines about alcohol use and nonuse. Choices about using or abstaining from alcohol based on a clear set of guidelines will enhance health and reduce the risk of experiencing the wide range of alcohol-related problems. These guidelines need to be set prior to drinking and adhered to carefully.

The following guidelines are suggested to help people determine if the use of alcohol or other drugs is necessary or unnecessary, healthy or unhealthy, low risk or high risk, and appropriate or inappropriate.

0. To use or not use alcohol is a personal choice.
   No one should feel pressured to drink or made to feel uneasy or embarrassed because of a personal choice.
1. Alcohol use is not essential for enjoying family or social events.
   The real value of parties and other social activities is being with friends and taking time out from the pressures of work and school. Drinking alcohol should not be seen as a necessary component for having fun and being with friends.
2. Use of alcohol that leads to impairment or intoxication is unhealthy, risky and should be avoided and discouraged.
3. There are times when it is important for everyone to abstain from alcohol or other drug use.
   Examples include:
   • When recovering from chemical dependency; other drug use is illegal;
   • When pregnant or nursing;
   • When operating equipment or motor vehicles, motorcycles, boats, tools, firearms, etc.;
   • When swimming, skiing, climbing, or doing other risky physical activities;
   • When at work or studying;
   • When performing in athletics or fine arts; and
   • When taking certain medications.
4. Medications should only be used as prescribed or according to directions and never mixed with alcohol.
5. There are personal limits of moderation for everyone who chooses to use alcohol.

   It is essential that everyone who chooses to drink alcohol knows his/her personal limit of moderation. Your Alcohol Concentration or AC level is the amount of alcohol in relation to other fluids in the body. The more alcohol in your blood, the greater the degree of impairment. It is important that each person set the limit before having any alcohol. Judgment can be affected even after a small amount of alcohol.

   Generally, alcohol can be eliminated from the body at the rate of almost one standard drink per hour or .015 AC level. But a variety of other factors may also influence the level of alcohol retained:

   Gender. Because of differences in body composition and chemistry, males and females are affected differently by alcohol. When a man and woman of equal weight drink equal amounts of alcohol, the AC level will be higher in the woman than in the man.

   Time. The number of hours you have been drinking affects your AC level. Unless you drink less than one standard drink per hour, your AC level will continue to increase over time.The liver's rate of oxidation is constant and cannot be speeded up by drinking coffee, physical activity or cold showers.

   

   Strength and quantity of drinks. It doesn't matter what kind of alcohol you drink - what counts is how much.

   Food intake. Drinking on an empty stomach can have a greater effect on judgment and behavior than expected. Although a full stomach will slow down the absorption of alcohol, it is much less important than most people believe.

   Age. Age is rarely considered in a discussion of AC levels, yet for a population of older people it is very important. The same amount of alcohol intake per body weight consumed by older people can result in higher AC levels and the effects may last longer.

   Age is also a factor for young people. Research shows that adolescents are involved in fatal crashes at significantly lower AC levels than those found in adults.

   Mood. Although one's mood does not directly affect the AC level, alcohol effects can be greater than expected when a person is tired, stressed out, angry, lonely or dealing with any other strong emotion.

6. There are ways to minimize health and safety risks when serving alcohol. Examples include:
   • Emphasize friendship, conversation and other activities rather than drinking alcohol.
   • Offer a variety of attractive non-alcoholic drinks that are readily available.
   • Provide a variety of foods.
   • Serve all drinks to guests rather than having an open bar.
   • Inform guests whether or not beverages such as punch contain alcohol.
   • Stay alert and assume responsibility to help a guest who may have had too much to drink.
   • Create an environment that allows guests to feel comfortable making a personal choice about alcohol use or nonuse.
7. Avoid situations where someone else's alcohol or other drug use may put you at risk. Examples include:
   • Don't ride with an impaired or intoxicated driver.
   • Use seat belts at all times to protect both drinkers and nondrinkers against being injured or killed in an alcohol-related crash.
   • Exercise caution in unfamiliar environments.
   • Recognize high-risk sexual situations.

Summary

Preventing alcohol use problems can begin in very small ways by first examining our own attitudes and guidelines about use and nonuse. The guidelines suggested here can provide a framework within which to examine the use of alcohol as part of family and social events.