Harm Reduction Tips

Drinking alcohol comes with both short- and long-term risks. Here are some tips that can make drinking safer.

Manage your intake

• The desired effects of alcohol generally take place between a blood alcohol level of .03 and .12. Most people can stay in this range by consuming about one standard drinks per hour. One standard drink is about 12 fluid ounces (fl oz) of beer, 5 fl oz of table wine, or a 1.5 fl oz shot of distilled spirits (“hard alcohol”).
• Eat and hydrate before and while you drink alcohol. Drinking on an empty stomach can speed the absorption of alcohol, making it more difficult to manage your level of intoxication. Alternating alcohol with water or non-alcoholic drinks can help you pace your drinking and stay hydrated.
• Set an intention at the beginning of the night and keep track of how much you’re drinking, including when you move to a new location. Some students use their phone to track drinks or simply move an object, like a penny, from one pocket to the other each time they have one standard drink.
• Keep in mind that drinking games can make it very difficult to keep track of how much you’re drinking.
  Curious how your body is affected when you speed up your consumption? Try this interactive virtual bar.

Avoid combining alcohol with other substances

• Combining alcohol with ketamine or opioids is especially dangerous and can be fatal.
• Energy drinks, other sources of caffeine, or other stimulants can mask the effects of alcohol. This can lead to drinking more than intended and, eventually, alcohol poisoning. Combining alcohol with strong stimulants (like cocaine or amphetamines, for example) also increases your risk of cardiovascular complications.
• Depending on several factors, combining cannabis and alcohol can have different effects. For example, doing so can intensify the effects of both substances and potentially increase your chances of greening out.
• If you are on a daily medication like an antidepressant, anxiety medication, insulin, etc., check with your prescriber to understand your prescription’s interaction with alcohol. For more information, visit here.

Prioritize your personal safety

• Where you drink and who you drink with can have a huge impact on your safety and enjoyment.
• Assess your comfort level with the situation before starting to drink and over the course of the night. If something doesn’t feel right or you feel uncomfortable at any time, try and leave the situation.
• Look out for yourself and your friends. If something doesn’t seem right, step in. Don’t be afraid to let a friend know if you are feeling uncomfortable. If you’re going out alone, consider making plans to check in with someone.
  Never leave your drink unattended and don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know or trust.
• Personal safety while drinking is a huge and complex topic. RAINN has a page with more advice. Remember, even if you were drinking alcohol when an assault occurred, it is never your fault.

Avoid driving and other risky activities

• Make a plan for your transportation before you start drinking. Have a backup plan in case your ride falls through. Don’t drive and don’t ride with someone who has been drinking or consuming other drugs.
• Practice caution around other potentially risky activities, too (swimming, cooking, or campfires, for example).

Policy considerations

Alcohol use is legal in Oregon for people over 21 years old, but it is against Lewis & Clark policy for anyone to drink or be intoxicated in public spaces on campus. Be mindful of legal and policy-related risks in addition to other potential social, psychological, academic, and physical impacts of use.

Further Resources

If you’re curious about your risk-level when it comes to harm from alcohol use, check out our anonymous self-assessment and feel free to reach out to our office at healthed@lclark.edu.

Cannabis has a reputation for being less risky than some other drugs and alcohol. The science in this area is still evolving, but so far it’s clear that cannabis use does carry important risks, especially for young people. You can read more about the risks of cannabis use here.

• Health effects of cannabis
• Mental health effects of cannabis

As research continues, being mindful of the following factors can help you lower your risk of being negatively impacted by cannabis use.

Dosage (Amount and Potency)

There is no standard dose of cannabis, the way there is with alcohol. With that in mind, here are some general guidelines.

• Start with a low dose and go slow. Wait around 20 minutes after smoking or vaping, then check in with yourself before using more. It can take 1-2 hours to feel the full effect of an edible, so very cautious - it is easy to take too much!
• The potency of cannabis and cannabis products is much greater than in the past and higher potency products are associated with higher risks. Take time to understand the relative potency of each product you use and adjust your intake accordingly.

Remember: Everyone’s brain chemistry is different. There are many factors that can affect how you respond to cannabis, including any other medications or substances you take.

Timing and Frequency

• Keep cannabis use to no more than 1 to 2 days a week, ideally less.
• If you need to drive, wait 6-8 hours after inhaling cannabis and 8-12 hours after taking an edible. Wait longer if you are still feeling impacted.
• In general, avoid using cannabis close to bed.
  • Research on cannabis and sleep is complex. Although cannabis can help some people fall asleep, some research has found negative impacts on the quality of sleep people get, especially over time. If you’re having trouble with your sleep, it’s possible that other methods could be helpful while carrying fewer risks.

Mood, Memory, and Concentration

• Be aware of how cannabis may be affecting school and other important areas of life. If you notice an impact on your mood, attention, concentration, or memory, consider reducing your use or stopping.
• People with pre-existing mental health challenges are at heightened risk of experiencing the mental health impacts of frequent cannabis use. Young people with personal or family histories of psychosis should be especially cautious.
• Although some people find that cannabis can improve their symptoms of anxiety in the short term, longer-term use is associated with worsening anxiety and depression.

Delivery Method

Edibles

• Pay special attention to serving sizes. Remember that two people can experience the effects of cannabis differently, so choose your dose based on you, not on others.
• Do not mix edibles with other drugs.

Smoking

• Smoking cannabis is considered the most harmful route of administration because it directly affects your lungs.
• If you do choose to smoke, avoid deep inhales or holding your breath. These behaviors increase the amount of toxins absorbed into your lungs.

Using Cannabis with Other Drugs

• Although none are fatal, using cannabis with other drugs can have somewhat unpredictable effects. When in doubt, avoid adding other substances to the mix.
• Research the impacts of cannabis on other drugs individually. This drug combination checker is a good place to start.
• If you take prescription medication, check in with your prescriber about possible interactions. If you have other concerns about cannabis related to your medical history, ask your primary care provider.

Setting

You are more likely to have a positive experience if you are feeling comfortable physically and socially. Be around people you know and trust. Being in environments you know well can be helpful in this regard.

Policy considerations

Cannabis is legal in Oregon for people over 21 years old, but it is against Lewis & Clark policy for College of Arts and Sciences students to use cannabis. Be mindful of legal and policy-related risks in addition to other potential social, psychological, academic, and physical impacts of use.

Further Resources

If you’re curious about your risk-level when it comes to harm from cannabis use, check out our anonymous self-assessment.

Are you interested in decreasing your current use or taking a tolerance break? Reach out to us at healthed@lclark.edu or check out one of the following resources below:

• T-Break Guide: A Guide to Help Support You on a Cannabis Tolerance Break
• Quitting Cannabis Workbook

Health risks

The health risks of smoking are well documented, while the risks of vaping are less well understood.

Decreasing use or quitting

The best way to prevent harm from smoking is to quit altogether. If you have a longer history of smoking and are experiencing trouble quitting, decreasing the number of cigarettes you smoke or switching to an e-cigarette may help.

Nicotine replacement therapies like nicotine gum, lozenges, or a nicotine patch can also help in the quitting process. It is not recommended to combine the use of any of these nicotine delivery methods (for example, vaping and smoking or continuing to smoke while using the nicotine patch).

Policy considerations

Smoking is legal in Oregon for people over 21 years old, but it is against Lewis & Clark policy to smoke on campus except in designated areas. Be mindful of legal and policy-related risks in addition to other potential social, psychological, academic, and physical impacts of use.

Further Resources

If you are interested in decreasing your use of nicotine, reach out to us at healthed@lclark.edu. We’re happy to provide resource recommendations and support that fits your individual needs.

To try other types of support, visit the following resources, which include phone- and text-based support lines geared toward teens, young adults, and the general public:

• Truth Initiative: This is Quitting
• Teen SmokeFree.Gov
• Oregon Tobacco Quit Line

 

Our gratitude to Tufts University’s own harm reduction page for providing many of the tips and resources on this page.