Jonathan, 19, college sophomore:
“The whole thing with drinking and other types of substances is knowing your limit. People can tell you what to do, but they aren’t the boss of you. Don’t overdo it. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you are risking your health. Count your drinks. And you should always pour your own drinks so that you know exactly what is in your drink. It is very important to know how much you are drinking and knowing what your personal limits are. Never drink alone. It is both stupid to drink alone and a sign of alcoholism. I would really say, don’t start drinking until your senior year. The kids who I knew who were already drinking in ninth grade were the ones who were going downhill fast. Don’t approach it; have it come it to you. You don’t want to be known as the instigator. And never drive drunk. Either be the designated driver or make sure there is a designated driver in your group.”
Arielle, 18, college freshman:
“You should never be pressured into it. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Trust your instincts. If it doesn’t feel comfortable to be in a drinking situation, just don’t do it.”
Jasmine, 19, college sophomore:
“You can’t say ‘don’t do it,’ because they still will. It is just something that happens and that you deal with it. Learning to deal with it in high school makes you more responsible about it in college. The biggest thing is to be safe and be responsible and to know your limits. A lot of my friends keep going and going and don’t stop. You are not invincible. … Do it because you want to do it, not to be cool or because someone else tells you to do it.”
Mark, 19, college freshman:
“Hang out with friends that won’t pressure you to drink. For me, I always went into it with a plan and an agenda and never to be out of control. I didn’t drink that much, but if I knew I was going to drink, I would just make plans to sleep over at that person’s house. I would witness the kids who were out of control, and knew I never wanted to look like that.
“There is a lot more drinking in college than in high school, and I already know two kids from my [dorm] floor who spent the night in jail [for public drunkenness]. I think kids should go into it with a plan of how much they drink and never get out of control.”
