by Lisa Frederiksen
Irene, Jessica and I spent two hours today hosting a table at 
Laney College’s Wellness Fair in Oakland, CA. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk with students about their views on the common myths about drinking.
Below you will find the T/F Quiz students could take, and we had a poster board to draw students into the discussion. One one side was a picture of several different drinks – wine, a shot of vodka, straight bourbon, champagne, beer, vodka on the rocks – with the Question, “Which drink contains the most alcohol (not liquid but alcohol)?” On the other side was a picture of a various containers – bottle of champagne, bottle of table wine, 24 ounce beer, 750 ml bottle of vodka, a bottle of Mike’s Hard Lemonade and the common 20 ounce Red Cup used at most parties – with the question, “How many standard drinks are in each container?”
The photos and the answers to the quiz questions provided great opportunities to sort the myths from the realities as the three of us talked with students who stopped by.
1. Alcohol is a stimulant. ___ T ___ F
2. Putting a penny under your tongue will allow you to pass a breathalyzer test. ___ T ___ F
3. “Beer before liquor, never been sicker – liquor before beer, you’re in the clear.” ___ T ___ F
4. The best thing for a drunk friend is to let them sleep it off. ___ T ___ F
5. All college students drink. ___ T ___ F
6. Alcohol is not as harmful as other drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine or heroin. ___ T ___ F
7. Follow the BAC (blood alcohol content) charts, and you’re good to drive. ___ T ___ F
8. If you drink a lot of water, you dilute the alcohol and won’t get as drunk. ___ T ___ F
9. The impact of alcohol on the brain under 21 is no different than the impact on the brain of an adult over 25. ___ T ___ F
10. Throwing up, drinking coffee, taking a cold shower or walking around the block will sober you up. ___ T ___ F
