[Special Health Series]Gearing up for Safe Alcohol Drinking Habits
[Special Health Series]Gearing up for Safe Alcohol Drinking Habits
  • Reporter Jung Han-kyu
  • 승인 2011.03.02 20:51
  • 댓글 0
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If drinking cannot be avoided, prepare

   
▲ Students drinking at a social meeting

The POSTECH Times has specially planned a series of articles to give basic information that would help freshmen to adjust to the university life. The first of the series is about alcohol.

In March, anxious high school graduates enter universities. To make them feel welcomed, student organizations host various events. They often, if not always, involve alcohol. Alcohol has become an essential part of social life in both university and real world settings. POSTECH, for an instance, there are several drinking meetings such as Lost Memories just in the first month of entering the university. Because these drinking parties are connected to social meetings, students are peer-pressured to join the meetings though they may feel uncomfortable drinking.

The fact that there are many dinking meets is one problem, but that they are rarely equipped with basic knowledge of alcohol is another. Most of them do not know their drinking capacity, let alone their behavior when they get drunk. Without knowing these things, their school life could suffer. In an effort to improve their transition, POSTECH added an alcohol education program during the freshman orientation, but many commented that it is not very practical.

American universities face similar trouble. With more freedom, new students go to drinking parties. They often lose control and cause problems such as destroying property, skipping classes, and vomiting on school grounds. Recognizing these problems, hundreds of American universities now require incoming students to complete a professionally designed alcohol education program. Whether the students choose to drink or not, knowing this information would not hurt them in any way.

To help alleviate this issue, The POSTECH Times sorted out the commonly misunderstood facts and some guidelines provided by the Korean Alcohol Research Foundation.

- Drink less and talk more, less meat and more vegetables

Talking more will naturally slow down the pace of drinking and reduce the amount of alcohol consumed. Consuming food is good to slowdown alcohol absorption, but acidic food is not the best thing for your stomach. Eat basic food such as vegetables, fruits, and milk because they’re good for hangovers, too.

- Boiler makers are a no-no

Boiler makers must be avoided if possible. Because a bomb shot is a mix of lower degree alcohol and higher degree alcohol, it results in about 14 degrees of alcohol content, at which the body absorbs the alcohol fastest. In addition, mixing drinks doubles the absolute amount of alcohol.

- Black Out Effect

This happens when brain cells are damaged by alcohol. Brain-imaging has shown that there are clearly a fewer number of brain cells in black out. Even when experiencing a black out, your speech ability and bodily movement are not limited, therefore it leaves an issue of being responsible for actions while drunk.

-Hangover-chasing Drink

Heavy drinkers often say you must drink to relieve hangovers. This is like numbing a bruised body by hitting it over and over again. It is a shortcut to undermining your body which needs help.

Drinking takes up a very large part of social life in university. If it cannot be avoided, students should at least remember these guidelines and drink modestly. For more information, contact KARF at www.karf. or.kr.