Drug &Alcohol Q&A

Below are the recent questions submitted by students asking questions about issues involving drugs and alcohol. Click here to submit your own question.

Dear Ken,
I am a sophomore and am worried about one of my friends. Whenever she drinks she ends up doing something she regrets like getting into arguments with her friends or being with a guy that she normally would not be with. She doesn't drink that often but when she does, she seems to go overboard. I think there is a problem but do not know how to talk to her.
-Concerned Friend

Dear Concerned Friend,
Among the many things that alcohol effects in a person is his/her judgment. It is common for people who are intoxicated to say and do things they will later regret. The frequency with which someone drinks is one way to measure an alcohol problem. Another is the behavior that people exhibit when they are drinking. My best suggestion is to get some private time with your friend and talk to her about your worry. Often people who were drunk have trouble talking about their behavior, but they might be willing to listen to a friend who is worried. A word of caution here....sometimes a person has to have this conversation many, many times before they conclude that they need to alter their drinking habits. I once heard a person say that "friends are our greatest resource". I believe it is our friends that are the best ones to point out to us when we need to do things differently, even if we don't want to listen.
-Ken

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