Re-Think The Drink
Take the Quiz
1 How many Illinois students have not participated in binge drinking (5 drinks in one event for men, 4 drinks in one event for women) during a 2-week period?
- 27%
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- 43%
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- 54%
- Students were asked to report how often they had participated in binge drinking during the previous two-week period. Over half do not participate in this kind of behavior. That's good, since that level of consumption bears a much greater likelihood of negative outcomes.
- 64%
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
2 Students at Illinois were asked to what extent missing class due to a hangover was acceptable. They believed that 67% of typical students would find this to be acceptable. In contrast, when asked their personal opinion:
- 7% of students found this to be acceptable
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- 17% of students found this to be acceptable
- What a difference! It’s interesting to see how perceptions of others differ from how one sees the world on their own. What this also might mean is that is a much less common behavior than believed – indeed, about 25% of students report missing class at least once due to alcohol consumption. And, this might mean it's a great place to make sure you talk to your friend who IS missing class – their behavior isn't normal, nor a typical expectation.
- 27% of students found this to be acceptable
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- 67% of students found this to be acceptable
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
3 Students at Illinois were asked to what extent drinking for the purpose of becoming drunk was acceptable. They believed that 43% of typical students would find this to be acceptable. In contrast, when asked their personal opinion:
- 5% of students found this to be completely acceptable
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- 15% of students found this to be completely acceptable
- Again, a pretty significant difference – about 1/3. Again, if this behavior in others makes you uncomfortable, you've definitely got the majority on your side. It's OK to say something to those who are not using alcohol in a safe way.
- 25% of students found this to be completely acceptable
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- 45% of students found this to be completely acceptable
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
4 Students at Illinois were asked to what extent drinking enough alcohol to pass out was acceptable. They believed that 46% of typical students would find this to be acceptable. In contrast, when asked their personal opinion:
- 8% of students found this to be acceptable
- Just to be clear, passing out from alcohol consumption isn't a normal outcome, and it's a real danger sign. Those who pass out have had enough alcohol to affect their central nervous system's basic function; the only things left to shut down are breathing and heartbeat. Obviously, that's not good. If you come across someone like this, don't just try to carry them home. Take the smart route and call 9-1-1 for assistance. There's no cost for a check by emergency personnel, and due to the Medical Amnesty and Good Samaritan Policy, there is generally no ticketing nor disciplinary action taken in these cases. Better safe than sorry!
- 18% of students found this to be acceptable
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- 28% of students found this to be acceptable
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- 48% of students found this to be acceptable
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
5 Students at Illinois were asked to what extent typical students think drinking every weekend was acceptable. They reported 47% of typical students would find this to be acceptable. However, in their own personal opinions:
- 8% of students found this to be acceptable
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- 18% of students found this to be acceptable
- OK, you probably get it at this point. Generally, students think poorly of these behaviors, but also tend to think that lots of others engage in them. Just remember – there's a good reason these behaviors aren't well-liked, so if you feel you need to say something to a friend about whom you're concerned, the numbers are on your side. Most other people would ALSO be concerned for that friend!
- 28% of students found this to be acceptable
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- 58% of students found this to be acceptable
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
6 Students report a wide range of negative outcomes from alcohol consumption. More than 1 in 4 students will experience which of the following:
- Negative academic outcomes: missing class
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- Negative personal outcomes: a hangover or an illness
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- Negative social outcomes: saying and doing things they later regret, failing to remember events of an evening, and getting into significant arguments
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- At least one of the above
- The basic idea is that of those who consume alcohol, 1 in 4 students will experience at least one of these negative outcomes. Of them, the personal outcomes are most likely (nearly 60% of students who consume alcohol report having had at least one hangover, for instance), followed by the social outcomes (between 30-40% of students report having experienced each of those outcomes). That means that over of those who consumed alcohol have had to do some relationship repair the next day, and that doesn't even include the roughly 10% who report physical or sexual assault.
7 Students report negative academic outcomes from alcohol consumption. Which of the following is the most common?
- Attending class while intoxicated
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- Failing a test
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- Forgetting an assignment
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- Missing a class
- About 25% of students who consume alcohol report missing a class due to their consumption. Thankfully, the other three happen less. Still, about 10% of students who consume alcohol reported each of the other three items. That's still probably too many – and you're definitely likely to know at least one of them. If a friend's alcohol consumption is harming their academics in any of these ways, a great referral is to the University's Alcohol and Other Drug Office. No cost and no penalty – just a helpful person to talk with. And no, making a referral doesn't mean your friend is an alcoholic. It just means you noticed a problem and cared enough to help!
8 A significant number of students report having spent "too much money" on alcohol. What percentage of students reported spending too much?
- 27%
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- 37%
- Almost 40% reported they spend too much money on alcohol! Hmm. Guess the "broke college student" is only broke after…well, that may be a little harsh. But really, imagine where that money could have gone. Books? Tuition? Rent? A new car? The possibilities are endless!
- 47%
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- None of the above
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
9 Students at Illinois regularly engage in protective actions when they consume alcohol. Which of these actions are the most common?
- Eating food before consuming alcohol
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- Keeping track of the amount of alcohol one has consumed (counting drinks)
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- Keep track of where their drink is at all times
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- Limit the amount of money spent on alcohol
- Nope. Wrong answer. Try again!
- All of the above
- These are all useful ideas; about half or more of students regularly engage in each of these items and they are a good start to reducing the harm from using alcohol in an unsafe or unwise manner. Other good (but sadly underused) ideas include:
- Alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic (lowers the amount consumed)
- Make your own drinks (you'll know for sure what's in it…no nasties!)
- Avoiding shared sources like jugs of jungle juice (shared sources frequently have MUCH higher amounts of alcohol, but it's hard to tell because of the sweetness)
- Avoiding drinking games (which tend to bring in a lot of alcohol faster than your body can process it)
- Avoiding shots (same idea)
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