College is just one big party, right? With Malibu Mondays, Tequila Tuesdays, Wisky Wednesdays, Tanqueray Thursdays, Fuzzy Navel Fridays, Schnapps Saturdays, and Smirnoff Sundays, it certainly seems that way. But now, one college is making a strong effort to address this misconception.

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The night before Thanksgiving is commonly known as the biggest bar night of the year. It’s the last night to go hang out with your friends before you must subject yourself to a weekend of “family fun” with Uncle Sam and Aunt  Susanne. It’s also a great time to see friends who are in town that you haven’t seen in a while. And since nobody has to get up for work  or class the next morning, you can stay up late and party all night long.

This night can be a lot of fun. But, as always, you should take some precautions to make sure the biggest bar night of the year doesn’t leave you with any more than a great (and safe) kick-off to the Thanksgiving break.

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Have you ever noticed how some nights it seems like you can drink all night long and never feel completely plastered? Other nights, it’s two drinks and you are done. Why is this? Does your tolerance just randomly decide to man-up on some nights and show that bottle of tequila who’s boss and then on other nights, does it just decide to lay low? 

Your tolerance does not have a mind of its own, but there is a science to the study of how to drink wisely and not end up sloshed. Keep in mind that the number of drinks you have is not the only factor in this equation.

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What two words can strike fear into the hearts of any fun-loving, liquor-drinking, college student? Killer hangover.

Just thinking about my last hangover gives me shivers and makes that beer not sound so tasty anymore.

When I typed in “best cure” on Google.com, my first result was “best cures for hangovers.” Evidently this is a pretty commonly requested item. But is there really any way to cure a hangover?

From personal experience, I’d have to say no. However, there are ways to avoid hangovers. Here are my personal favorites.

1.    Drink water or Gatorade before you go out and when you get home. The main cause of hangovers is that your body becomes dehydrated. So if you hydrate before you start drinking, stay hydrated by sipping some water while you are out, and drink a little bit more water when you come home, then you are much less likely to feel so dehydrated and hung over the next morning.

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More and more college students are binge drinking today than in the past, according to U.S. health officials. Along with the increase in binge drinking comes an increase in drunk driving and drinking-related deaths.

Drinking-related deaths among students age 18-24 has increased from 1,440 a year in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005, according to the U.S. national Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The percentage of college students who say they have participated in binge drinking within the past month has also increased, from 42 percent to 45 percent.

“There’s a whole culture that needs to be changed around drinking and driving under the influence among young people in the United States,” said Ralph Hingson, director of the institute’s division of epidemiology and prevention research. Hingson also said that since alcohol is cheap and many alcoholic beverage makers target high school and college students, it is very appealing to teens and young adults. Read the rest of this entry »

The University of Oklahoma, as well as 141 other universities, has taken steps to reverse binge-drinking occurrences by their students. Every year, the American Advertising Federation holds a National Student Advertising Competition for college advertising students. Companies such as AOL, Bank of America, Yahoo and Coca-Cola sponsor this competition.  The company responsible for this year’s competition is “a leader in the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking,” according to the Century Council.

The purpose of this competition is for college students to research, plan and execute an advertising campaign for the sponsoring company. This year, the students are working to develop an advertising message which will effectively reduce the rate of binge drinking for both men and women between the ages of 18 and 24. Each of the 142 competing teams has compiled a strategy, which will both communicate the desired message, as well as affect behavior revolving around this hazardous situation. Read the rest of this entry »