"One drink" is not what you think
A 12 oz beer, a 5 oz glass of wine, and a 1.5 oz shot of liquor all contain the same amount of pure alcohol — about 0.6 oz. A shot doesn't hit "harder" than a beer; it's the same dose in a smaller glass.
Beer — 12 oz
~5% alcohol
= 0.6 oz pure alcoholWine — 5 oz
~12% alcohol
= 0.6 oz pure alcoholLiquor — 1.5 oz shot
~40% alcohol
= 0.6 oz pure alcoholThe definitions that actually matter
Moderate Drinking
Up to 1 drink/day (women), 2/day (men) — legal drinking age only.
Binge Drinking
4+ drinks (women) or 5+ (men) within about two hours — the pattern behind most alcohol poisoning cases.
Heavy Drinking
More than 7 drinks/week (women) or 14/week (men) — a weekly total, not a single night.
Alcohol Use Disorder
Roughly 1 in 5 college students meet the clinical criteria. Far more common than most parents assume.
The numbers behind the headlines
college students (ages 18–24) die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries.
of college students report academic consequences — missed classes, falling behind, lower grades.
of alcohol consumed by people under 21 is consumed as binge drinks.
- Doesn't respond to being talked to, shouted at, or shaken
- Can't stand up or won't wake up
- Slow, irregular, or labored breathing
- Skin looks bluish/pale or feels clammy
- Vomiting while unresponsive