You, Your College Student and Alcohol - University of Denver

YOU,
AND ALCOHOL.
Campus Resources
Health and Counseling Center
303.871.2205 • info@hcc.du.edu • www.du.edu/duhealth
Parents Program
303.871.3708 • parents@du.edu • www.du.edu/studentlife/parents
Housing and Residential Education
303.871.2246 • housing@du.edu • www.du.edu/housing
The Office of Student Conduct
303.871.3111 • www.du.edu/studentconduct
Parent Resource Guide
Student Outreach and Support
303.871.4724 • care@du.edu • www.du.edu/studentsupport
Late Night @ DU
303.871.3111 • late-night@du.edu

General Alcohol Facts
The reality is that some students will drink alcohol when they go to
college. Sometimes students, especially those who have not had much
experience drinking, overdrink when they first arrive to campus. As
a University, we educate students about techniques to monitor their
drinking. You, as their parent, can reinforce this by encouraging them to
use the same techniques. Here are a couple of things you may or may
not know about alcohol:
• The liver can only process one standard drink per hour. It is when
people drink more than one drink per hour that they start to feel
the affects of alcohol. There is no way to speed this process up.
So if someone were to drink five standard drinks it would take
approximately five hours for all the alcohol to pass through their
system and to be sober again.
• Not all drinks are created equally. For example a Long Island Iced
Tea can have as much alcohol as 3 to 6 beers, depending on how
it’s made. A standard drink size for a beer is 12 ounces (a can); 5
ounces for a glass of wine (there are typically 5 servings in a bottle);
1.5 ounces of hard alcohol (a pint has 11 servings).
• Eating before and while drinking slows down the absorption of
alcohol into the blood stream. Eating foods high in protein, such as
milk or cheese, coats the stomach and intestines.
• Alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks helps to
pace drinking.
• Alcohol is a diuretic and dehydrates the body. Drinking water will
help ward off the side effects of dehydration such as headache and
overall achiness.
• No matter how you cut it, drinking games are not a good idea. Just
by the nature of the games they encourage people to drink more
and more quickly than they normally would.
Conclusion
Thank you for continuing to invest in your son or daughter’s future.
Alcohol can be a big part of the collegiate culture. By talking to your
son or daughter you tell them that you can still be involved in their life
without being physically close to them. You, as parents, are still one
of the biggest influencers on their behavior. You are an important part
of their life and what you say does matter. Continue the conversation
throughout their college career and beyond.

Collegiate and
Campus Norms
Often times our views on what is normal student behavior are shaped
by our experience or what we see or hear on television or in the
College students
generally make
healthy decisions
regarding
alcohol use
movies. The media often portrays students
as heavy and regular drinkers. The truth is
actually quite the opposite. College students
generally make healthy decisions regarding
alcohol use. The one thing that you will
notice is that students perceive their peers to
be drinking much more than they actually do.
This gap in reality and perception can
influence behavior. The following, taken from the American College
Health Association – National College Health Assessment, are good
talking points while communicating your expectations to your son or
daughter.
Welcome
Congratulations! Your son or daughter just made a very
important decision. They have decided to attend The University
of Denver! While this is a time of transition for your son or
daughter, it is also a time of transition for you. You are deciding
how much to stay involved in their lives, how much freedom to
give them, what to talk to them about, among many other things.
As your student starts the academic year, they will face many
challenges. As parents, you will want to help them work through
some of these challenges. Throughout this document we will
talk about alcohol, one of the challenges your student may come
across. We will discuss how to talk to your student, University of
Denver policies, facts regarding alcohol and campus resources.
After each statistic there will are parentheses which include a simple
talking point you can use.
• In the last 30 days 34.8% of students didn’t drink alcohol
(not all college students drink alcohol)
• Students thought that only 5.5% of their peers didn’t drink alcohol
in the last 30 days; they do believe that 30.7% of their peers drank
on 10 to 14 of the last 30 days (it seems like more college students
drink than actually do)
• 26.9% of students had zero alcoholic drinks last time they partied;
19.9% had one or two drinks; 20.2% had 3 or 4 drinks
(most students party responsibly when they choose to drink)
• Students thought that 33.6% of students had five or six alcoholic
drinks last time they partied; 15.1% had seven or eight drinks;
10.0% had nine or ten drinks (it seems like students drink more
drinks when they choose to drink than they actually do)
• When asked in the last two weeks, “how many times did you drink
five or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting,” 64.9% said none (most
student do not binge drink)

Have the Conversation
Parents often do not know if they should talk to their students about
alcohol. Parents may feel that drinking alcohol is a right of passage;
they did it during college, so it is okay for their son or daughter to do
it during college. The reality is, no matter
...no matter your
own history, it is
okay to talk to
your student
about alcohol use.
your own history, it is okay to talk to your
student about alcohol use.
Some of you may have talked to your
student throughout high school about
alcohol and this will be a continuation of
that conversation. For some of you this
may be the first time you are broaching
the topic and that is perfectly fine too. The
important part is that you are having the conversation now. You can
have this conversation when it naturally comes up in conversation, for
example regarding a movie or television show you or he/she has seen.
Your son or daughter may even bring up something that happened on
campus over the weekend. Those are all great opportunities to start
a conversation. You can also make it a point to talk to them next time
they call home.
Now that you have decided to talk to your son or daughter about
alcohol, you may wonder what to talk to them about. Throughout this
document we will outline different talking points as well as important
reasons for this discussion.
Communicate Expectations
Believe it or not,
you, as their parent,
still have the
strongest influence
on their behavior.
Communicating expectations goes
much beyond just alcohol. It is
important that your student knows
what is expected of them academically,
socially, and regarding any risky
behaviors. Before your son or
daughter leaves for school, sit down
with them and discuss what you
expect from them.
Colorado Laws
When dealing with things such as alcohol use and false identification,
it is important to remember that it goes beyond the University of
Denver policies, it becomes a legal issue. There are several laws
regarding underage drinking and false identification and their
charges range from misdemeanors to felonies. It is important for your
son or daughter to understand that the consequences for owning
a false identification may go beyond a fine, community service or
getting in trouble on campus. There are some careers/licensures that
will not allow felonies and this will have a long-term affect on your son
or daughter.
If a student gets caught with a fake ID on campus, The University of
Denver’s Department of Campus Safety will refer them to the Office
of Student Conduct. If the student gets caught more than once,
Campus Safety will report the violation to the proper law enforcement
agency. At this point it would be likely that criminal prosecution will
be pursued. This will only pertain to students who get caught with
false identification on campus. If an incident happens off-campus,
at a house party or local establishment, law enforcement may be
involved on the first offense. When communicating your expectations
to your son or daughter, be sure to include some of the above
information, as it is a potential consequence that can stay with your
child for a very long time.

Parental Notification Policy
The University considers student conduct records to be part of a
student’s educational record, and as such the University complies
Parents and
guardians can play
a positive role in
preventing further
misconduct.
with all applicable legislation, including
but not limited to the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Further,
the University’s primary relationship is with
its students, and not with their parents or
guardians.
However, the University recognizes that
parents or guardians maintain an interest
in their students’ behavior while at college,
and can play a positive role in preventing further misconduct. Therefore,
the University may notify the parents or guardians of any dependent
student under the age of twenty-one who is placed on probation, or
is suspended or dismissed from the University. The University also
reserves the right to notify the parents or guardians of any dependent
student under the age of twenty-one who has been found responsible
for violating any drug or alcohol polices. Notification may be deferred at
the sole discretion of the Director of The Office of Student Conduct.
• Expect that, if you have attended college, they ask you about
your experiences; be honest with them. It is okay to share with
them that you struggled academically, enjoyed Greek life, went to
parties, and drank alcohol.
• It is important to recognize that your son or daughter may be
experiencing the ability to make many of their own choices for the
first time in their life. If you expect your student to attend classes
and get good grades, it is important that you communicate that
clearly.
• If you want your son or daughter to get involved in student
activities, communicate that to them and give them some tips and
tricks that you have learned along the way.
• It is especially important to communicate your expectations
on some of the tougher things. For example, what are your
expectations surrounding alcohol, other substance use, sexual
activity, and the way they treat other people.
Believe it or not, you, as their parent, still have the strongest influence
on their behavior.
This notification is intended as a means to encourage communication
between students and their parents or guardians to provide the greatest
level of support for the student. Regardless of whether notification has
occurred, the University’s priority and obligation is to correspond and
otherwise conduct business directly with students, and not through
parents, guardians, or any other third party.
Endangerment
• Any act that directly or indirectly creates a substantial risk to anyone’s
health or safety (including one’s own health or safety) regardless
of intent. This includes but is not limited to the use or abuse of any
substances that results in medical evaluation or assistance.
For the complete list of student conduct policies please visit the Office of
Student Conduct website: www.du.edu/honorcode
3

Student Conduct Information
The University of Denver develops its policies out of concern and care
for your student. The following are the policies and philosophies have
been taken out of the Honor Code’s Student Conduct Process and
Policies. Your son or daughter will be exposed to these at Discoveries:
New Student Orientation. During this time they are given a lot of
information to take in and a gentle reminder of these policies and
philosophies is a good idea.
Good Samaritan Philosophy:
The University has a concern and responsibility for preserving the
well-being of all members of our community; therefore all issues of
substance misuse must be addressed. Since the health and safety
of students are of primary importance at the University of Denver,
students are expected to not only look out for their own health and
safety but also for that of their peers. When a person’s health or safety
is threatened, immediate action must be taken.
When the assistance of a University Official or emergency services is
sought for oneself or others in an emergency, a formal student conduct
record may not be created for those involved in the incident. However,
students involved may be required to attend a meeting with Student
Conduct staff member and may be required to complete educational
outcomes in lieu of the formal student conduct process. The University
will always consider the unique nature of the incident and roles of
those who may have been involved.
• Any violation of these Student Conduct Policies while intoxicated
regardless of age.
• Intoxication to the point of endangering one’s own health or safety
regardless of age.
Drug Misuse
• Possession, use, manufacture, or distribution of any illegal drug, or
any possession or use of any prescription drug or other controlled
substance except under the direction of a licensed physician. The
manufacture or distribution of any drug is also prohibited. Marijuana,
including Medical Marijuana, is prohibited on campus.
• Being under the influence of any illegal or prescription to the point of
endangering one’s own health or safety.
• Any possession or use on University premises of paraphernalia
used to facilitate the use of any illegal drug or other controlled
substance in violation of this policy. This includes but is not limited
to marijuana pipes and bongs.
• Any act which causes a person to ingest any illegal or prescription
drug or other controlled substance without their effective consent.
• Any violation of these Student Conduct Policies while under the
influence of any illegal drug, prescription drug or other controlled
substance in violation of this policy.
Alcohol Misuse
• Possession, use, manufacture, or distribution of alcohol except as
expressly permitted by law or University policy. Alcoholic beverages
may not be used by, possessed by, or distributed to any person
under 21 years of age.
• Intoxication to the point of endangering one’s own health or safety
regardless of age.
• Any act which causes a person to consume alcohol without their
effective consent.
• Any possession or use on University premises of paraphernalia
used to facilitate the rapid consumption of alcohol. This includes but
is not limited to beer bongs and funnels.