By: EMILY TRENT
Staff Writer
emmtrent @iu.edu
Drinking is no secret among college students, and it shouldn’t be hidden. If you are going to drink, you need to know the important facts about alcohol.
Titan Productions hosts events every semester to help bring awareness to different issues surrounding college students. This semester they hosted the comedy show A Shot of Reality.
The show is hosted by two comedians, Caleb Gearge and Bryce Wissel. It is based on research and statistics on alcohol and college students.
Corey Long, assistant director of student life said, “The show is not about don’t drink, the show is about we know you are going to drink and this is how to do it safely and responsibly. We want to be open and honest about what is going on.”
She added, “We know it’s going to happen but it’s about how to be responsible and aware of what is going on around you.”
The show helps bring awareness to college students in a fun and humorous atmosphere.
Students are more likely to remember the facts if there are humor and emotion attached to the information.
The two comedians had a lot of information to share, hoping to leave students well educated on all aspects of alcohol.
“People who start drinking before they are legal are more likely to develop alcohol dependency later on in life,” said Wissel.
“It starts with alcohol abuse, alcohol dependency, and then turns into alcoholism. Knowing the signs to look out for can help you determine if you or someone you know has an issue involving alcohol,” added Gearge.
In their performance, they offered tips to remember when you are drinking. These tips can help with a simple hangover and they can also save your life.
Researchers say to stay hydrated because alcohol will cause you to use the restroom more frequently as your body tries to flush out the alcohol. You could often wake up with a headache because your body has pulled water from your organs, including your brain, causing it to shrink which causes the headache.
Drinking on a full stomach will decrease your chances of becoming sick. Wissel and Gearge say that if you drink on an empty stomach the alcohol can reach your brain in a matter of 90 seconds, which can cause major damage to your body.
“Knowing what is in your drink is important as well. You can’t determine how drunk you may become if you don’t know the context of your drinks,” Wissel said.
Gearge and Wissel gave fun facts about the effects of alcohol:
- It takes one hour to process one standard alcoholic beverage.
- Your body can become confused if you mix energy drinks with alcohol, which will mask how drunk you may be.
- Carbonation speeds up the rate at which you become drunk.
- Taking Tylenol before you start drinking does not help your hangover, it can be
- dangerous and cause your body major harm.
Knowing the effects of alcohol is important but also knowing the signs of alcohol abuse is necessary to keep you and everyone around you safe.
The research presented said that if you are around someone who is vomiting uncontrollably, if they are not very responsive when being woken up, or their skin looks pale and feels cold it is a sign that something is wrong, and they may need medical attention.
They said alcohol abuse and dependence can lead to harmful outcomes and signs to look out for are having an excuse to drink at any time, needing a drink first thing in the morning, putting alcohol before responsibilities, and even needing a drink to go to sleep.
Drinking can be a fun and enjoyable time if it is done safely and responsibly. Being open and honest with yourself and everyone around you will lead to healthier and safer habits.
If you are going to drink, be safe and responsible.
