It’s no secret that some of the editors of the East Tennessean enjoy drinking. Our Boozy News podcast is dedicated to our love of current events, entertainment, campus life, and, of course, responsible drinking. We wouldn’t be able to make this podcast if we didn’t take our drinking seriously.
And by that I don’t mean that we’re alcoholics. I mean that we follow an unspoken code of conduct while drinking that allows us to have fun and not regret the things we said (or did) while drunk when we listen back to the pod’. But these rules aren’t just important while recording a drunk podcast, they’re important to allowing everyone to have a good time at every drinking occasion, even Spring Break.
First and foremost: BYOB is the best policy. Not only do you get whatever you want when you bring your own bottle, but it’s considerate to whomever is hosting because they don’t have to try to guess how many bottles of beer everyone can drink.
Also, BYOB is especially helpful in mixed gender groups. Most women don’t have to drink as much alcohol as men to reach a pleasant buzz. For me, that means I don’t have to buy more alcohol than I know I’ll drink (and spend more money than I have to) because I won’t lose any by putting my bottle on the table next to everyone else’s.
Second: the importance of the pleasant buzz. Everyone should know the number of drinks they need to have to reach and to maintain a pleasant buzz. There’s a science to it.
According to Dr. Richard Reams at Trinity University, “You’ll experience the pleasures of the Optimal Buzz if you keep your BAC in the range of .04-.06. But if your BAC level rises higher in the range of BAC levels, you’ll lose the Optimal Buzz. Once you overshoot the Optimal Buzz, you can’t get it back because of the body’s biphasic response to alcohol. To make matters worse, the higher your BAC rises, the more likely you are to experience things you’ll regret the next day.”
Washington State University has handy cards you can print out based on your birth sex and weight that can help you stay within the perfect buzz all night. They’re available through their Alcohol & Drug Counseling, Assessment And Prevention Services website.
Three final rules for drinking: obey the law, watch out for your companions, and don’t let being “drunk” serve as an excuse to do whatever you want. ETSU is an alcohol-free campus; until that policy changes, don’t drink there. Drunk driving is dangerous for everyone involved. No good can come of it. If you didn’t think ahead and designate a driver (or if your designated driver decided to drink), there’s always an Uber driver who will gladly drive you home.
Don’t drive drunk, don’t let any of your friends drive drunk, and don’t let anyone slip anything into a drink. Keep an eye on your cup and your friends’. This is another reason why BYOB is great. You know sealed bottles haven’t been tampered with, and you can buy pocket-sized miniatures to ensure nothing gets slipped into your drinks.
Remember that you’re still responsible for your behavior while drinking. Don’t do anything that could harm another person, and don’t use alcohol as an excuse to avoid actually expressing emotion. Many people use the perceived safety of alcohol to reveal their deepest secrets without judgment, but this is not a healthy behavior.
If you have feelings that you want to share, share them sober. Never be afraid to tell anyone you appreciate them, and don’t use alcohol as a crutch to make it easier.
