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Alcohol & Drug Education Resources

Alcohol Use and Abuse

Drinking alcohol is often a part of the college experience. Excessive alcohol use and abuse can have serious consequences for students who drink, and for everyone around them. Among college students ages 18–25, binge drinking is a common issue. This behavior can have immediate consequences like engaging in risky behaviors, or longer-term concerns like a negative impact on health and wellness.

Some ways to still have an active social life on campus while preventing substance abuse are:

  • Getting involved in on-campus events
  • Joining an intramural or team sport
  • Forming healthy friendships
  • Befriending students who are committed to sober living
  • Engaging in activities that do not involve substance use
  • Find healthy ways to manage stress
  • Learn to say NO
  • Learn the signs of when substance use might be negatively impacting you or a loved one
  • Get help if you need it

How Do I Know If I Have A Drinking Problem?

Below is a set of questions designed to help you find out if alcohol use may be a problem:

  • Do you prefer to drink alone rather than with others?
  • Does your drinking cause problems with school (e.g., falling grades) or at work (e.g., being late)?
  • Do you drink to escape your problems?
  • When you drink, do you get very emotional?
  • Do you ever have memory loss or blackouts due to drinking?
  • When you drink, do you often get drunk even when you did not mean to drink to excess?
  • Do you find that you have to drink more and more to get the same effect?
  • Do you get into trouble with the law or injure yourself when you drink?

If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, you may have a drinking problem. If you have a drinking problem, or suspect that you have one, there are many others out there like you. If you would like to talk with a counselor, call the Drexel University Counseling Center at 215.895.1415, or email us at counseling@drexel.edu. We can help you find the resources and care that is best for you.

Know Your Limits

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) refers to the percentage of alcohol in a person's bloodstream. BAC is important because alcohol affects every organ of the body. Calculate your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAL)

Area 12-Step and Peer-Led Recovery Resources

See Substance Use, Abuse & Addiction in our Self-Help Resources section for more information, including online and local Philadelphia resources.