I am an Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Student Assistant in the Health Education and Promotion (HEP) department of Student Health and Counseling Services, and I wanted to address some suggestions that were made in the column “Bar crawl a rite of passage for 21st birthdays”, which promoted the idea of going out on a bar crawl on one’s 21st birthday.
Alcohol is a drug, and binge drinking on your 21st birthday can be dangerous. Have fun with friends, but be safe and realize you don’t have to binge drink when celebrating your birthday.
While the author of the article encourages students to go out and drink at the bars on their 21st, be aware that you could be setting yourself up for some not so great consequences. There are serious repercussions when you are arrested for public intoxication or driving while under the influence in Davis. The approximate cost of a DUI in Yolo County is between $10,000 to $15,000 and would show up on your criminal record.
Some tips to have a fun night on your 21st include reviewing safeparty.ucdavis.edu for responsible drinking tips before going out, drinking water in between alcoholic drinks, eating food high in protein to slow down your body’s rate of alcohol absorption, using the buddy system and having the number for Tipsy Taxi (530-752-6666) or another safe ride on hand to get home safely.
Whether you decide to go out to the bars on your 21st birthday or not, you should be aware of the possible consequences of high risk drinking. Students can access lots of great tips on how to celebrate safely with alcohol on safeparty.ucdavis.edu.
Joel Breck
student assistant health education and promotion department
