A Word of Caution about Drinking, Hangovers, and Acetaminophen

Let's just be honest here: The end of the semester and the holiday season often involve alcohol. And with the presence of alcohol sometimes -- and unfortunately -- come some poor choices about drinking too much.

Today's" YOU Docs Tip of the Day" column ("What Not to Take for a Hangover") addresses an important but perhaps not-well-known problem: the unhealthy and possibly dangerous combination of taking acetaminophen and alcohol. As the YOU docs advise, "Do not drink and take acetaminophen, whether for a hangover or a head cold." Just something to keep in mind as you head into (or out of) finals and start your official break.

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A Word on Binge Drinking

If you're a first-year student, you've probably attended a campus party by now -- which means you've also probably witnessed some unhealthy drinking behaviors.

So what exactly is "binge drinking" anyway? According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that brings a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens:

• When men consume 5 or more drinks in about 2 hours
• When women consume 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours

You don't need a college degree to know that binge drinking usually results in poor decision making.

Whatever your plans are for the weekend, just be smart about them. You got into college because you have a good brain, right? Right! So use it -- even, and perhaps most especially, outside of the classroom.

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