# College Alcohol Consumption and Partying Concerns **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 30, 2017, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183 "2017-06-30T05:06:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealTalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ec8ea/32.png) [@RealTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealTalk)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/1 "2017-06-30T05:06:06Z")
My friends and I drink/party at a very unhealthy rate. I want to know if we are 1) normal, or 2) idiots/insane. (probably #2) DETAILS: As a group we party and see the sunrise (7am) about 4 days out of the week for the past 4-5 months while consuming 30-40 beers, doing nose candy (an 8ball a week) during those 4 day sprees. On the 3 other days of the week, we consume a casual 15 beers. Those other 3 nights we stay up until 3am or so getting roughly 28-35 hrs of sleep during that week. \*This has truly been going on for about 5 months non-stop. Drinking 180 beers a week. How much did y’all drink or someone you know/knew drink during college? I am concerned… ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/2 "2017-06-30T05:43:41Z")
I wouldn’t call you normal or insane. I would say lots people party like that and more in college or at that age if they didn’t go to college. I guess, wild guess most walk away with a manageable lifetime habit, but being a barfly is acceptable in this UNITED STATES OF BUDWISER. A few go straight… But also lots people get fucked too. There’s a lot of crap that goes with the HARD PARTY. There will be fights And underaged pussy And drug dealers. So in my VERY EXPERIENCED opinion, you are subject to charges for Dui Assault Rape Manslaughter Murder Distribution Possession Blah blah blah. Can you guess I’m old. I’m gonna be 49 next month. In my PARTY DAYS we referred to a FELONY PER DAY RATE.It was usually double digits. Remember everything you do while wasted is a potential felony. Drive to store…dui Go get drugs… purchase,possession, transportation​ of controlled susbstance Get a friend high…distribution Bang a chick who’s as drunk as you…rape Have someone OD at your party…manslaughter / Murder Give a friend money for drugs and his friend brings a gun along, just for security, and someone gets shot…you just masterminded a hitsquad. Ask OJ To you and me it’s like going to the store for beer and getting your legal friend beer too. To cops you are an entrepreneur selling blow to kids like his daughter…the one who died of an overdose last year. Sorry to sound like a Dad, but I’ve got friends still in state prison, and have been there since we were like 30. Lastly, opening bid for a GOOD lawyer…the kind that gets you rehab, probation and comunity service instead of 7-10 years in rape you in the ass prison…is about $5000. That will cover you up to trial. If he can’t get it pled out or tossed, you’ll pay more for him and all his experts and researchers. 5th Dui cost a guy $10k plus court fees and probation fees for 5-10 years. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/3 "2017-06-30T05:51:09Z")
How do you afford 180 beers a week plus everything else plus your normal living expenses? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/4 "2017-06-30T05:58:20Z")
I’m guessing you and your friends aren’t drinking 180 beers each per week, so you’d have to tells us how many friends this is split up between. IME, 6-10 beers (10 is getting to be on the high side for a college kid with low tolerance, especially if you’re small), on party nights, is pretty normal. Plus casual drinking on the other nights. An 8 ball split between 3 or 4 friends over a week or so isn’t unheard of either. However, while my friends and I had pretty good self control with the blow, in that we did plenty when it was around and if it wasn’t it wasn’t a big deal, one big tip is to cut yourself off around 5-7pm or so. If you do that, you have a fighting chance of getting some sleep instead of staying awake for 3 days at a time. Also, backing off on the blow will mean you won’t drink as much since the coke lets you drink more without realizing how drunk you are. OTOH, if you’re actually downing 30 beers a day by yourself, even if that’s exaggerating and you think 15 is ‘casual drinking’ that’ll kill you. And if you’re headed down that road, the 8 ball a week is quickly going to turn into an 8 ball on the weekend and one for the week, then one for the weekend, one for Thursday and Friday and one for the rest of the week and it’ll just keep escalating. Moderation is key. Keep it in check. If you’re the dorm drunk or the one who’s regularly up at 3:30 in the morning because you’re so wired, it’s time to start backing off. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/5 "2017-06-30T06:21:34Z")
> [@RealTalk](#): > > My friends and I drink/party at a very unhealthy rate. “Unhealthy” seems to be pretty accurate, according to [some research](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/binge-drinking-in-college-may-lead-to-heart-problems-later-in-life/): > [@](#): > > “Regular binge drinking is one of the most serious public health problems confronting our college campuses, and drinking on college campuses has become more pervasive and destructive,” senior study author Dr. Shane A. Phillips, an associate professor and associate head of physical therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said in a statement. […] > > Binge drinking was defined in the study as drinking five or more standard-sized alcoholic beverages in a two hour period for males or four or more standard drinks over two hours for females. […] > > Binge drinkers on average imbibed about six times per month for a four-year period. Blood tests that looked at cholesterol, blood sugar levels, and blood cell and protein counts revealed that binge drinkers had impairments in the function of endothelial and smooth muscle cells. These are the two main types of cells that control blood flow in the body, the researchers said. > > These changes to vascular cells were equivalent to the problems found in people with a lifetime history of drinking heavily every day, they added. Cocaine use is also not doing your body any favors for the long term, especially if it’s cut with other substances that can be quite dangerous. In the short term, though, as **BobBitchin’** noted, you are at much higher risk of physical harm and/or criminal charges from your behavior while being constantly wasted and sleep-deprived than you are from the cumulative health effects of your alcohol abuse and drug abuse. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/6 "2017-06-30T06:47:40Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > In the short term, . . . you are at much higher risk of physical harm and/or criminal charges from your behavior while being constantly wasted and sleep-deprived than you are from the cumulative health effects of your alcohol abuse and drug abuse. Well, the cumulative effects just as much _ **are** _ physical harm, which is exactly what the quote says: “_These changes to vascular cells were equivalent to the problems found in people with a lifetime history of drinking heavily every day, they added_.” Also, I’ve been seeing increasing research indicating that it doesn’t even require a whole lot of binge drinking to bring about damage. From what I’ve read, it seems that even occasional binge drinking at college age can harm the brain, which is still developing in people under 25, leading to long-term effects on cognitive development. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/7 "2017-06-30T10:18:20Z")
Fucking amateurs. ETA: Reported for wrong forum. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/8 "2017-06-30T10:53:12Z")
Sine the OP is looking for shared experiences and opinions, let’s move this to IMHO from General Questions. **samclem** , moderator. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/9 "2017-06-30T11:18:43Z")
Lol: “A casual 15 beers”. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/10 "2017-06-30T11:33:37Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Lol: “A casual 15 beers”. In Wisconsin we call that ‘getting ready to go out’. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/11 "2017-06-30T11:40:34Z")
An 8 ball a week, that’s each, right? Split among three or four people that’s not enough coke to say so. I wouldn’t worry about it. Beer is just beer, no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/12 "2017-06-30T12:37:57Z")
I used to overindulge greatly in college (never could afford coke, tho.) The biggest potential problem is the number of potentially life threatening situations I survived. Driving drunk or with drunks. Running across busy streets. Findings myself in places I didn’t remember going… So many could reasonably consider that a concern. As I got out of college, my biggest concern was that I hadn’t developed reasonable drinking habits. Never got a DUI or lost a job because of booze, but drank at least a case every weekend, would be the drunkest person at any gathering I attended, continued driving drunk. Such longterm consumption was showing health effects, as well as sending an unhealthy message to my kids. For me, those were concerns. Eventually - around age 45 - I found it easier to stop drinking entirely than to moderate. Been sober the past 12 years or so. Don’t really miss it, but there are times that I wish I could enjoy a beer with my adult son, or a glass of wine with my wife. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/13 "2017-06-30T13:58:54Z")
I’m in the media (where part of the unofficial job description is “being able to prop up a bar, especially if someone’s expense account is funding it”😛 ) and I wouldn’t drink 180 beers in an entire year. Even at uni I wasn’t Captain Alcohol, partly because I wasn’t living on campus (it’s not common here for Australian students to live on campus) and also I had a job and other Being A Responsible Adult things to attend to, which precluded getting schwifty 24/7. My friendly advice is: Dial it back. You must be spending a mint on booze and “other”, and that’s money you could spend on anything from textbooks (those things are still printed on gold vellum right? They cost as much) to bills to taking a member of your preferred gender out on a date. I’d suggest taking some time to dry out, and accept you don’t have to be completely wasted to have a good time. Sure, there’s a time and place to dial things up to 11, but pretty much all the time during uni isn’t it. You could also find the effects of Booze, Babes and Bolivian Marching Powder tank your grades and hurt your chances of getting a job when you graduate, too. I’m not saying “BE BORING AND DO NOTHING FUN!” but if I knew anyone IRL who imbibed those quantities of booze and stuff, I’d likely be sitting down with them for a concerned chat about getting some help. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/14 "2017-06-30T14:28:41Z")
No that’s not “normal.” Research on college binge drinking has found that people have an exaggerated idea of how much other students drink. And heavy drinkers tend to gravitate to other heavy drinkers. You’re doing yourself a lot of harm. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/15 "2017-06-30T14:53:24Z")
And yeah, I join the chorus calling BS on the claim of \> a case per day for 5 months. There are hardcore alkies who can consume that much, but few of them would lack sufficient self awareness to ask whether their consumption was normal. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/16 "2017-06-30T15:42:29Z")
Here’s a quote concerning how much Americans drink > [@](#): > > The tenth decile consumes 73.85 drinks per week. That’s right, 73 drinks a week. Basically 10 drinks a day. Forget a glass or two of wine with dinner–you need to drink roughly two bottles of wine with dinner. Forget a couple beers–you need to pound down close to a 12-pack of beer every day. (Tell me your bladder and your wallet don’t hurt just thinking about it.) It may be possible because these are kids who don’t have anything to do but party. I lived in Japan, paradise for alcoholics, and would party hard with friends. Many stopped and were fine. Others of us couldn’t stop until we were forced to for various not fun reasons. That much drinking, if it’s an accurate statement, isn’t sustainable. It may not be you, but some people in that crowd are not going to escape easily. ---
**Author:** ![RealTalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ec8ea/32.png) [@RealTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealTalk)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/17 "2017-06-30T16:04:54Z")
Thank you everyone for the replies. @Joey P and @Dinsdale (i dont know how to properly quote) Some weeks, the each of us drink 180 beers per person per week and other weeks we might drink 140 beers per week. And an 8ball per person per week through out the monthsis accurate. You have to consider that our tolerance is retarded high. It would take 8-10 beers to start feeing ‘something’ or to be tipsy in a span of 2 hrs. I am not trying to be brag. Just wanting a discussion or an outside look. Thanks y’all! ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/18 "2017-06-30T16:12:21Z")
If you are drinking that much, you know how fucked up it is without needing an outside look. I don’t see that there is much to discuss. Also, if you are drinking that much, I strongly suspect that very few of you will have to worry about your college career continuing. Like I said, there are people who consume at that level. However, I’d wager considerable amounts that the number of folk who do so over time while leading somewhat productive lives is ridiculously small. You are killing off brain cells at an impressive rate. Good luck on seeing how long you can continue! And should you ever sober up enough, you’ll notice the little QUOTE tab, or learn how to type > [@](#): > … ---
**Author:** ![RealTalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ec8ea/32.png) [@RealTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealTalk)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/19 "2017-06-30T16:17:17Z")
You are right Dinsdale about the dangers. We sent one of my friends to rehab after being in a coma and blowing a .49 BAC. Yes- .49. Doctors told us that our 23 year old friend had a 70 year old liver. Its very sad. I have recently graduated with 2 majors in Business Finance. I am just wanting to talk about no need to get so damn pissy. If you use your eyes then you would be able to see that I just started using this site last night. Thanks for the help Dinsdale! ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183/20 "2017-06-30T17:41:55Z")
> [@RealTalk](#): > > Thank you everyone for the replies. > > @Joey P and @Dinsdale (i dont know how to properly quote) > > Some weeks, the each of us drink 180 beers per person per week and other weeks we might drink 140 beers per week. And an 8ball per person per week through out the monthsis accurate. > > You have to consider that our tolerance is retarded high. It would take 8-10 beers > to start feeing ‘something’ or to be tipsy in a span of 2 hrs. > > I am not trying to be brag. Just wanting a discussion or an outside look. > > Thanks y’all! You never said where you get all the money for the hundreds of beers and coke you indulge in week after week. Rich parents? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-alcohol-consumption-and-partying-concerns/790183.md?page=2)