Our campus, not unlike college campuses throughout the country, has a reputation of being a party school. Some Vandals may feel pressured to use substances, including alcohol, during their time at the University of Idaho in order to achieve the stereotypical college experience. While some UI students do choose to use alcohol, many choose to wait until they are of legal age, and nearly one in five UI students consistently choose not to use. Vandals who choose not to drink should not feel alone in their decision to stay sober.
For those who do choose to use alcohol, most choose to use moderately and responsibly. Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks for males and four or more drinks for females in a two-hour period. According to the National College Health Assessment, most UI students averaged three to four drinks the last time they partied or socialized. On the contrary, students tend to perceive their peers to be using alcohol more and more frequently than they actually are.
In reality, UI students tend to drink responsibly and avoid binge drinking. The misperception peer use is higher than actual use can contribute to the feeling among some students that using alcohol is needed to fit in.
If you do choose to use, we just want you to be safe! Picking three or four safer drinking strategies can make all the difference in avoiding some of the not-so-good effects from using alcohol.
UI students report using strategies like alternating non-alcoholic beverages with alcohol beverages, using a designated driver, eating before and/or during drinking, setting a limit in advance, and staying with the same group of friends the entire time.
Know that regardless of whether you choose to use alcohol or not, you’re part of the Vandal Family. UI promotes the “I Got Your Back” campus-wide campaign promoting Vandals taking care of each other to maintain a safe and inclusive community.
You can say “I got your back” by being an active bystander and stepping in when something doesn’t seem right, or simply respecting someone’s decision not to drink. Check out uidaho.edu/IGotYourBack for resources about alcohol and other drugs, mental health, emergency management and violence prevention.
Be a Vandal in the know. Check out Vandal Health Education’s Substance Use webpage uidaho.edu/aod for more information on blood alcohol concentration and what it means, what a standard drink is, safer drinking strategies, how to identify acute alcohol poisoning and how to respond.
At UI, most students do a good job looking out for each other most of the time — we take care of our Vandal Family. And remember, you are not alone if you choose to stay sober.