It is the most wonderful time of the year! As Spring Break, Darty, and SODA seasons come upon us, and we need to remember that if we choose to drink, we need to do it in a fun and safe way.

Have you ever gone out for a few drinks but ended up drinking way too many? Did you let your Saturday ruin your Sunday? This is Binge Drinking. Binge Drinking is defined as drinking more than four drinks for women and five drinks for men in one sitting. It is also a leading cause of alcohol-related emergencies.

Fortunately, it is actually more fun not to binge drink because of the diminishing returns of alcohol. When choosing to drink, it is important to note that the relaxing buzz and euphoria from alcohol is only present at lower BAC levels and impaired drunken dysphoria takes over soon after as one’s BAC rises. Since this is true, it is always best to pace yourselves when drinking and take advantage of that lower BAC buzz!

Additionally, no one wants to wake up drunk especially when you have places to be in the morning. It is important to remember that it is easier to raise your BAC quickly than lower it. After drinking, your BAC will only go down by about .015%/hour. This means that if your BAC hits .08% after 3-4 drinks, it will take someone, on average about 5 hours to sober up. The time to sober up could more than double if you choose to binge drink!

Always count your drinks and remember that less is often more for your ROC (Return on consumption). Additionally, utilize the BAC Buddy App to determine when you will be sober, especially if you plan to drive the morning after binge drinking. Don’t let binge drinking today ruin your fun tomorrow!