For some students, drinking to excess is a "rite of passage" they associate with college. It's an image we've all seen over and over; a group of friends, drinks in hand, having a wild night - it looks like so much fun.

Alcohol can be fun when it's consumed responsibly. It's up to you to keep informed about the short- and long-term effects of a night of partying.

Short-term effects
- Headaches
- Impaired judgment
- Unconsciousness
- Blackouts (memory lapses where the drinker cannot remember events that occured while under the influence)
- Comas
- Slurred Speech
- Drowsiness
- Distorted vision
- Decreased perception and coordination
- Distorted hearing

Lungs
- Breathing difficulties

Stomach
- Vomiting
- Upset stomach
- Diarrhea

Blood
- Anemia (loss of red blood cells)

Brain and Head
- Nerve damage
- Vitamin B1 deficiency, which can lead to a disorder characterized by amnesia, apathy and disorientation
- Permanent damage to the brain
- Cancer of the mouth and throat

Heart
- High blood pressure, stroke, and other heart-related diseases
- Increased family problems, broken relationships

Body
- Unintentional injuries such as car crash, falls, burns, drowning
- Intentional injuries such as firearm injuries, sexual assault, domestic violence
- Increased on-the-job injuries and loss of productivity

Stomach and Liver
- Alcohol poisoning
- Ulcer
- Gastritis (inflammation of stomach walls)
- Malnutrition
- Liver disease

The Goods
- Sexual dysfunction

Stats and Facts
- In 2011, 78 per cent of Canadians aged 15 years and older had consumed alcohol (Health Canada)
- At ages 15 to 19, 52 per cent of males and 35 per cent of females reported consuming five or more alcoholic drinks on a single occasion in the previous year (Statistics Canada)
- In 2008, an estimated 24.1 per cent of males (3.3 million) and 9.6 per cent of females (1.4 million) reported heavy drinking - consuming five or more drinks on one occasion, 12 or more times over the past year (Statistics Canada)
- From 2000 to 2007, 47 per cent of all drivers 19 years of age or younger who died in traffic fatalities tested positive for alcohol and/or drugs (Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse)
- In 2009, 16- to-25 year-olds constituted 13.7 per cent of the population, but made up more than 30 per cent of the alcohol-related traffic deaths (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
- Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15 to 25 year olds, and alcohol is a factor in half of those crashes (MADD)