A Lesson on Alcohol and Blackouts

What's New, Jan/Feb 2004 by Sullivan, Joe

Blackouts caused by alcohol drinking are much more common among students than previously believed. Nearly half of 800 students surveyed at one school reported they had experienced a blackout at some point in their lives. Nearly one in ten students surveyed vandalized property or engaged in some form of sexual activity during a blackout.

- Journal of American College Health, 2002.

With other research showing that alcohol has more lasting effects on the young brain (people under age 21) than older brains, there is even more reason why students should learn about blackouts. Gloucester High School in Gloucester, MA asks its seniors to take AlcoholEdu, a science-based, online prevention program that educates students about blackouts as well as other alcohol-related topics. In this program, students learn about how alcohol affects the brain and body and decision-making strategies for situations in which alcohol is present. What follows is a lesson from this program covering blackouts.

What Is a Blackout?

Blacking out is not the same as passing out. People experiencing a blackout are able to perform functions such as having conversations, driving a car and engaging in really complicated behaviors.

However, blackouts only occur at levels of BAG (Blood Alcohol Concentration) that seriously impair judgment. The decisions people make during a blackout are not usually good ones. An important aspect about black-outs is that people experiencing them often do not appear highly impaired to other people. So how do you know if you m are indulging in behaviors that can lead to a blackout?

The following three scenarios are about high school students who are having a night out. The task here is to discuss and decide which one is likely to experience a blackout and why.

Scenario #1: Jason

Jason is a high school junior and has spent most of the day at an event where beer and mixed drinks have been flowing freely. Jason was hoping to pace his drinking so he could get to know other guys at this event. But he was surrounded by other young people who were chugging beer. So Jason started doing the same.

Scenario #2: Kira

Kira is out on a date with a new guy she recently met. At the restaurant, Kira was pretty nervous, and as a result, she didn't eat much of her dinner. From there, Kira and her date went to a friend's house where there was a party going on. Kira wanted to join in the fun and relieve some of her nervousness. So, she and two friends opened a bottle of wine. After several fast glasses of wine, Kira turned up the music and started dancing with several of her friends and her date.

Scenario #3: Alice

Alice is having a nice time at a party. She and her friends begin playing drinking games. Alice is competing against two guys. Though she was winning for a while, her two opponents gained momentum. As a result, Alice had to drink a lot of beer in a short amount of time.

Answers

Jason: One of the biggest risk factors, beyond simply drinking too much alcohol, is drinking alcohol quickly. Research suggests that blackouts are more likely to occur when a person's BAG rises rapidly. Since Jason has been chugging drinks that cause his BAG to rise more rapidly, he is more likely to experience a blackout.

Kira: Being female is a significant risk factor for blacking out. One recent study suggests that female college students black out after drinking far fewer drinks than males. This occurs because of differences in body weight and body water content. Since Kira is drinking on an empty stomach, which would cause her BAG to rise more rapidly, she is more likely to experience a blackout. She could even dance while having one.

Alice: Alice, who has been drinking a lot of alcohol and drinking it quickly, is at a greater risk of blacking out. Also, because she is female, Alice's risk factor is high for blacking out.

Joe Sullivan is the Principal at Gloucester High School in Gloucester, MA. The school uses the AlcoholEdu program created by Outside the Classroom, an organization that addresses health issues (www.outsidetheclassroom.com).