Hey Everyone. I hope this video finds you well. I understand 
these are not the ideal circumstances for this sort of learning but I am 
glad to know students are back on campus even if it is mostly 
spiritually and virtually instead of physically
My name is Elizabeth Gandara. I am the Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug 
Health Educator with Health Promotion and Wellness here at SF State. 
I really like my job because I get to have conversations with students around the safer use of alcohol and drugs. 
I have provided my work email along with my number so yawl can reach me with any questions you may have, that are not covered in this video. 
In this video you will learn some safer use guidelines for alcohol consumption. 
You will also learn the serving size of alcohol
 the most commonly used substances for college aged students 
along with safer use practices for those drugs, and 
finally cover the levels of substance use, and do a self
reflection of when substances may be having an impact on our 
professional, personal, and academic goals. 
When we discuss protective behaviors today, we are referring to 
activities someone can take while using substances
to avoid hangovers or other adverse consequences that occur 
as a result of substance use. 
The average someone drinks alcohol for the first time is around 
14 years of age. Many students go to college already having 
their first experiences with alcohol and other substances although there
 isn’t much health education around it. At HPW we 
do not focus on abstaining from substances, but rather prepare 
any students with the knowledge they need to make the most informed decisions for themselves or others around substances. 
So, 
what are the good and not so good effects of alcohol?
 Some may say it makes them feel relaxed, it helps them unwind 
after a long day. 
It makes some feel more confident and allows for easier and more comfortable time 
when socializing.  Some may describe the not so good drawbacks 
of alcohol to be how expensive it is,
 How dehydrating it might be, so like waking up the next morning
Feeling so dehydrated right?
impairs their judgment leading them to enact behaviors they later regret, it makes some 
people vomit, causes headaches, makes it difficult for some to 
breathe, and causes unconsciousness and black outs 
once someone drinks too much. This would be considered 
alcohol poisoning as well. Avoid the undesirable effects 
of alcohol by sticking to one or two standard alcoholic drinks per hour. 
One serving size of alcohol depends on the type of alcohol, 
and the percent  of alcohol content in it. A white claw for 
example is 5% alcohol content therefore 12 ounces
would equal to 1 serving size or one drink. 
Wine has about 12% alcohol content therefore 5 oz. 
would be considered one drink. Tequila, vodka, 
or cognac has 40% alcohol and therefore 
1.5 oz. is considered one drink. 
1 shot of tequila would give you the same effect as 5oz of wine. 
However, it is very easy to over drink liquor, 
and forget how many drinks we have had, and therefore many individuals 
can experience alcohol poisoning.  
It is important to follow safer use protective tips to avoid a 
hangover, or worse, end up in the hospital with an IV
 in your arm because of dehydration and alcohol poisoning. 
First of all, pace yourself when you are drinking. 
If it is your first time, stick to one drink per hour and notice the effects that take place 
in your body. It is recommended that people stick to one 
or two drinks per hour. It is also very important to drink 
a glass of water after every drink to help pace oneself and also 
to stay hydrated. It can be helpful to start drinking plenty 
of water in the morning and afternoon preceding to starting
 to drink. This can be a major game changer to avoid those
gnarly symptoms that usually occur when hungover. 
Drinking coconut water and other electrolyte rich drinks is also a good idea. 
Check in with yourself and your friends before you start drinking and ask yourself 
what kind of night do you want to have? Do you want to remember 
everything you experience that night? Do you want to have a chill night without 
a hangover the next day? If so then you can 
indicate how many drinks you’ll have and stick to them. 
Avoid mixing alcohol and drugs as some drugs can have 
very harmful reactions with alcohol. 
The food that we eat is also just as important to how our body 
interacts with alcohol and other substances, so make sure that you eat
Food with lots of whole grains, carbs, and lots of protein in them.
What foods should you eat, and which should you avoid?
Eggs, Greek yogurt, chicken, salmon and other proteins
are very helpful in keeping us full and delaying alcohol absorption. 
Oats are also a great source of both fiber and protein 
which is also helpful for liver health and the slowing 
down of alcohol absorption. 
Avoid spicy foods like
hot Cheetos and salsas before drinking as they can trigger acid 
reflux. Salty foods can make us feel bloated 
and refined carbs and sugary foods are 
processed much quicker and therefore won’t help as much 
with delaying alcohol absorption. 
However, any food in the system can help so never starve
 before drinking because you will regret it the next morning. 
How do you know when something is wrong?
Whether you have had your first experience with alcohol or not, trust your 
intuition. If you are around someone who might have been drinking 
and is not breathing normally, is cool and 
clammy to the touch, unconscious, or not waking up after 
you have tried getting their attention, something is wrong.
Vomiting is a more obvious impact that the individual might 
have alcohol poisoning. Multiple symptoms 
and unconsciousness might require medical professionals. 
If an individual is experiencing the following be sure to
 lay them on their side and not their back. 
People can unconsciously choke on their own vomit and stop breathing. 
Be sure to call 911 or University Police Department
 if you are ever around anyone who is experiencing alcohol poisoning
 or any of those symptoms. 
So what happens when you are at a house party, or kickback and a friend 
you just met is in and out of consciousness from alcohol? 
First of all, let's acknowledge that going to a house party or hanging out with 
people outside of our home is probably not the best idea right now 
due to the corona virus. But lets say 
hypothetically. Do you avoid the situation?
 and hope someone helps them out? Or do you actively intervene?
to ensure that the individual makes it home safely 
or gets the help they need?Often time’s 
people think that it is not their business
to intervene in these sort of situations, however, it is much better 
to ensure the safety of someone than to take a chance.
 There are a variety of ways in which we can actively 
intervene in this kind of situation. We call them 
the 3D’s of Bystander Intervention. 
Number one is, Distract
To distract someone who might have malicious intent with your acquaintance, 
you can spill a drink on them, or ask them to help you with a task that 
requires them to step away from the individual. 
Number two, Delegation, it requires you to find 
someone who has power and control in that situation. 
Maybe the house owner can help you take ownership over ensuring this individual 
gets home safely. Call their emergency contact
and let them handle the situation. If they are inebriated to the point 
of unconsciousness, call the paramedics. 
Number 3 is Direct 
Try to get the attention of the unconscious individual
 to see if they are okay. If they are in and out of consciousness or falling 
asleep, stay with them until you can find their friends.
 Make sure they take their friend home and recommend that they lay 
them on their side to avoid choking during sleep. 
It is not easy to intervene, it can be awkward 
and more work than you might have bargained for that night but it’s essential 
to ensure that people feel safe and that harm is 
avoided or reduced.
Although this is totally self-paced. I have a question. 
How do you party responsibly? Now that you know the
basics on safer use of alcohol consumption, let me know
what you are thinking. Follow this QR code by taking your phone camera out 
and pointing it towards the code. A link should pop up at the top 
and you can press it and follow it to a padlet board.
 If that does not work for you, just follow the link bellow. 
Fill out the prompts. I would like to know how you plan 
to modify or continue practicing safer alcohol use.
 If you do not drink, let me know, how you plan to  intervene 
amongst your peers to ensure the safety of any vulnerable individuals? 
I also want to quickly discuss the steps to throwing a safe and responsible party. 
If you are ever in the position where you or 
your housemates throw a party, these guidelines could aid 
in preventing many people from getting a hangover 
the next day. If you have the option of serving food, 
offer foods high in protein, granola bars, 
dyno nuggets, and other easy to hand out prepackaged 
or prepared food. 
Offer non-alcoholic drinks for designated rivers and for people
to alternate with throughout the night. Make sure that there is 
access to water and that there are closed/sealed 
water bottles nearby, that people have access to 
Measure drinks for your 
guests. Make sure that the drinks they are having are 
standard drinks. Drinks like jungle juice make it hard to know 
how much alcohol is actually in a serving. Never ever 
force guests to drink. Shift the peer pressure culture and allow 
people the autonomy to choose if they are ready to
 drink or not,  and finally, try to stop serving alcohol 
an hour before the party ends to allow people to sober up a bit 
before they take off. 
I am going to quickly cover the most commonly used recreational drugs amongst college students.
There are many drug categories but today we will discuss Stimulants, 
Depressant, Prescription Opioids, and Hallucinogens. 
Stimulants, also known as uppers, which provide a 
euphoric and calming sensation, along with elevated mood 
as a result of an overabundance of dopamine levels 
within the brain. Stimulant drugs are those like cocaine,
Adderall, and even caffeine. 
Depressants are drugs that slow down brain function.
 It can calm nerves, relax tense muscles and help treat conditions like 
insomnia, anxiety, or muscle spasms. 
Opium related Painkillers, or opioids for short, include
drugs like Vicodin, oxycodone and codeine, are very 
powerful drugs that interfere with the nervous systems 
transmission of the nerve signals we perceive pain. 
They react on the nervous system in the same way drugs
derived from the opium poppy, like heroin do.  
Opioid related painkillers are highly addictive 
and past overprescribing and regulation of prescriptions 
has led to former pain patients to rely on street drugs like 
heroin and meth. Lastly Hallucinogens 
are drugs such as LSD/Acid and Magic Mushrooms 
which generally cause a person to see images, hear sounds,
 and feel sensations that seem real but do not exist. 
Cannabis is the plant that marijuana comes from and it
 has a plethora of uses, from clothes, to lotions,
to recreational use and medicinal purposes. 
Marijuana refers to the part of the cannabis plant that contains 
tetrahydrocannabinol, more easily known as THC. 
THC is the substance responsible for the 
effects of marijuana. 
Some safer use strategies for marijuana would be to avoid 
driving until the effects wear off, usually 
1-6 hours after consumption depending on method of utilization 
and individual tolerance. It can impair motor 
functions. Another strategy is to avoid 
using if you are predisposed to conditions like schizophrenia 
or psychosis. 
If you are unsure and are trying for the first time, be around people 
you trust, and that know who to contact if things go south. 
If you are consuming it through an edible, 
be sure you purchase from a reliable shop to be sure you are not 
overconsuming. Take a bite at a time 
and avoid eating the whole thing in one sitting. 
The effects can take up to half an hour to peak so
 take it slow and be patient. And finally, since
we are still in a pandemic and COVID is still very prevalent,
don’t share your blunt, bong, or vape with anyone.
Next we are going to discuss cocaine which is a stimulant drug. 
Cocaine causes a short, intense high that is followed by 
potential depression and a craving for more of the drug. 
Since it is a stimulant drug, it makes it difficult for people who use 
habitually to sleep properly. 
Some safer use strategies for cocaine include
alternating nostril after use, if it’s being snorted 
and to avoid mixing with alcohol or drugs. Alcohol is a depressant
and naturally makes people sleepy. Some might have a desire for 
increased energy and therefore use cocaine for the stimulating 
effects, continuing to drink thereafter. What they don’t 
realize is that the stimulating effects of cocaine make the brain believe 
you have energy when in fact the drowsiness you feel from alcohol
is a sign to your body that you should stop drinking. 
Ecstasy or Molly can both act as 
stimulants and hallucinogens and vary form type. 
the effects of ecstasy and molly come from the component MDMA.
 It is known as a rave drug due to its 
popular use within raves, music festivals, and parties 
among teens and young adults. It enhances the user’s 
pleasure center and levels of dopamine, leading to a 
depreciated amount of dopamine later on and increasing 
the desire to take more. Some of the effects it can have 
are nausea, muscle cramping, involuntary teeth 
clenching, blurred vision, chills, sweating. 
The effects can last anywhere from 3-6 hours.
 Over the course of the week one might feel irritability, 
aggression, impulsiveness, sleep problems, 
depression, and anxiety. 
Since MDMA can cause heart rate to increase and body 
temperature to rise, it is important to stay hydrated and drink plenty of 
water and electrolytes. Chewing gum helps prevent and
 counteract jaw clenching. It is important not to use alone 
and have people you trust around you who can help in case 
of an emergency or if you have a bad trip. 
Finally I want to briefly discuss the levels of substance use. 
When we look at substance use through a harm reduction approach 
we acknowledge that drugs are going to be used regardless of 
prevention efforts and education, therefore 
we hope to bring awareness to the effects, 
and the safer use strategies to empower our gators
 to make the safest decisions around use for themselves. 
However, it is important to also acknowledge that there are various levels of substance use. 
Many people can balance their use with their professional,
 academic, and personal lives, while others may lose friendships 
and strain relationships with family and work goals over the effects 
of use. 
These guidelines bellow are used by the American Psychiatric Association 
to determine levels of substance use from no disorders 
to mild, moderate, and severe use disorders. 
As noted on the slide, fewer than 2 of the above symptoms would not 
indicate a disorder, while 2-3 would be a mild disorder,
 and 4-5 a moderate, and 6 or more a severe disorder and 
potentially addiction. It is important to note that there are different levels 
of concern for any of the above mentioned categories and they are
ever changing as time passes so just because some 
of those may have applied to someone in the past, does not mean they are 
currently experiencing them. 
If you would like to reflect on your own use, take the alcohol E-Checkup 
self-assessment on the CAPS website, provided in the link  bellow. 
You may also schedule a meeting with our Substance use counselor Karla with 
Counseling and psychological services. If you would like to chat more 
about substance use in general and would like a peer to peer or a health 
educator to discuss a specific topic further, please reach out to me and we 
can set something up for individual groups. Substance use 
may not be an issue for everyone but it is important to realize when it may be 
impacting our personal goals and lives, our relationships, 
our work opportunities, and our grades. 
This may show up for us in a variety of ways. 
From partying too hard the night before and missing class or 
assignment due dates. Isolated events are not bad
but when it becomes a habit, it may be time to analyze and reflect on whether 
your current use is impacting your opportunities.
 It is also important to reflect when we are simply using alcohol or other drugs 
as a coping mechanism to alleviate emotional and mental harm from our 
everyday stressful lives. 
Lastly, we are still in a pandemic and rates of transmission within 
young adults has steadily increased in the united states, 
in the bay area, and in many other parts of California. 
It is important to minimize physical socializing as much as possible. 
If it becomes too difficult and you happen to find yourself at a physical gathering,
be sure to wear a mask at all times and avoid sharing any 
food, drinks, or objects with others who you do not live with. 
Wipe down any items that may have been touched 
with disinfectant and avoid large gatherings and being 
outdoors around others for elongated periods of time. 
That is all for this video, but please be sure to visit our website 
wellness.sfsu.edu for events, workshop request, 
and resources in sexual health, mens health, nutrition, basic needs, substance use, mental health, 
and much more. 
Also, follow us on instagram or twitter. Our username
 is @sfstatecares. We post about the latest events, 
educational posts, and campus resources. 
If you have any questions please email me at egandara@sfsu.edu
or text my work number 650-535-0059. 
Hope yall are all well and can’t wait 
to see yall on campus again someday. 
