Here are a few ways you can contribute to a safer, more inclusive environment on campus. 

Disrupt the narrative that binge drinking is the norm at UW–Madison.  

• Why this is important: Numbers of students who don’t drink are increasing with every incoming class—66% of incoming students reported being nondrinkers in our most recent data (AlcoholEdu 2024). Because drinking rates vary substantially by identity, beliefs and practices that normalize high-risk alcohol use can alienate students who most need to be included. 

• What you can do:  

• • Consider your language. Phrases like “Work hard, play hard” can unintentionally reinforce harmful narratives about alcohol and alcohol culture at UW–Madison.  

• • Set positive norms. Treating alcohol use as a rite of passage for college students normalizes alcohol use that may be illegal, unsafe, and harmful to our community. 

Center the experiences and wellbeing of nondrinkers and students in recovery. 

• Why this is important: Sometimes, it might feel to students like everyone on campus drinks, but with increasing numbers of non-drinkers on our campus, high-risk drinking is not the norm. It’s important to ensure messaging is inclusive of these students and amplifies healthy behaviors instead of only focusing on those choosing to drink at high risk.  

• What you can do:  

• • Promote and plan alcohol-free spaces, events, programs, and activities, especially during high-risk times of year, so students know there are ways to find community on campus that do not involve alcohol.  

• • Learn about resources that center nondrinkers and students in recovery, such as Badger Recovery. Consider signing up for the Badger Recovery listserv for updates, events, and strategies.

Rethink the campus events you host.  

• Why this is important: From our data, we know that non-drinkers and students in recovery experience some of the lowest levels of belonging of campus (Color of Drinking 2023). At events with alcohol or during times of year when high-risk drinking is more visible and more prevalent, these students can feel further isolated and unsupported. 

• What you can do:  

• • Plan substance-free events. As you are planning for the end of the semester and the next academic year, consider sponsoring an on-campus event, or providing space for students who choose not to attend high-risk drinking events. Food, music, and recreation activities can build community among students who may feel less of a sense of belonging during these times. 

• • Take inventory. Think about the events your class, department, or organization hosts. Do many of them involve alcohol or take place in settings where alcohol is present?  Do they need to? Consider who is excluded when socializing with alcohol is the norm. 

If you are looking for more ideas about how to apply these practices to your organization or department, UHS Prevention offers consultative support, including sharing data and best practices, connecting you to resources, and helping you think through actions you can take to support student wellbeing. 

Campus Resources  

• University Health Services provides medical and mental health support for substance misuse, group therapy for students looking to use substances more wisely. 

• Badger Recovery is UW–Madison’s collegiate recovery program, which connects and supports students in or considering recovery from substance misuse, eating concerns, and other addictive behaviors to help them maintain their recovery, achieve their academic goals, and find belonging on campus. 

• Office of Student Assistance and Support provides options for reporting personal, academic, and health concerns for students. 

• Amnesty Through Responsible Action aims to reduce the reasons why a student wouldn’t seek help in a medical or mental health emergency by ensuring no University disciplinary action for students who do the right thing and call for help—even if alcohol and/or drugs are involved.  

University Health Services (UHS) provides many opportunities to connect with other students in a safe, confidential and supportive space through UHS group counseling and Badger Recovery.

UHS Group Counseling 

UHS group counseling offers a chance to share your experiences with others who understand and relate; learn new perspectives; and experiment with new ideas, behaviors, and ways of being or interacting. There are many groups available this semester—including ones focused on anxiety, identity, ADHD, and substance use—so you can find one that’s right for you.

Here are just a few groups that will be held this semester: 

• Using Wisely Group – For students looking to manage their relationship with alcohol or substance use | Fridays from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (virtual)
• International Students Support Group – For international students | Wednesdays from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (in-person)
• Black Women’s Support Group – For students who self-identify as women of African descent | Mondays from 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM (virtual)
• South Asian Support Group (NEW!) – For students who self-identify as South Asian or being from a South Asian country (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and the Maldives) | Tuesdays 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM (in-person)

Read more about group counseling through UHS, and view the full spring Group Counseling schedule.

All students are required to complete a pre-group orientation. A pre-group orientation is a one on one 30-minute Zoom call with the group’s facilitator. During this call, the facilitator will talk about how the group will be run, topics that may be covered, and answer any questions you may have. To schedule a pre-group orientation, please call 608-265-5600 (option 2), or visit MyUHS. 

Badger Recovery 

Badger Recovery is UW-Madison’s collegiate recovery community, offering a range of recovery services and connection opportunities, including weekly recovery meetings for students in recovery from substance use, eating disorders, and addictive behaviors. 

This spring, Badger Recovery will host weekly recovery meetings for students in recovery and those who support them, with new options to choose from for the spring semester:

• All Recovery Meetings – For students in recovery | Mondays, 7–8pm and Wednesdays 5:45–6:45pm | 333 E. Campus Mall, Room 8808
• Friends and Family Meetings – For friends, family members, and others who support students in recovery | Thursdays, 5:30–6:15pm | College Library, Room 2191E
• Rainbow Recovery – For LGBTQ+ students in recovery | Mondays, 5–6pm | Gender and Sexuality Community Center (GSCC)

Badger Recovery meetings are non-clinical and are led by trained student facilitators who support all pathways to recovery. Meetings involve students supporting one another, sharing their recovery experiences, and often center around topics like coping with triggers, building support systems, managing stress, and finding connection. For a full meeting schedule and more information, visit the Badger Recovery webpage.

Want to stay in the loop on Badger Recovery events and news? Sign up for the Badger Recovery email list, or follow Badger Recovery on Instagram.

But in recent years, researchers discovered that the feeling of enjoyment that accompanies a few beers starts to completely disappear when you drink beyond than the legal .08 blood alcohol content limit.

In fact, scientists believe they have pinpointed .05 as the BAC at which most people feel their giddiest while drinking. Beyond that, higher quantities of alcohol only impede judgement without giving you more of a sense of euphoria while intoxicated.

Drinking past a .05 BAC level can also raise your tolerance to alcohol. Contrary to popular belief, drinking more alcohol won’t prolong a good feeling; .05 is still your peak buzz. It’s just not the buzz it used to be.

There are two options to prevent raising your tolerance, according to UHS Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Jennifer Damask. One is to take a break from drinking altogether. In time your tolerance level will return to its normal level.

Another option is to drink less if you do choose to drink. If someone has two drinks each time they drink, they will never raise their tolerance level, even if they have two drinks every night. It’s quantity that raises tolerance, not frequency.

“These strategies will maximize any good consequences of drinking while minimizing the not-so-good consequences,” Damask said.

Environmental Tolerance

If you’ve ever been surprised by the effects of what you consider to be a normal amount of alcohol, environmental tolerance could be the explanation. Here’s how it works:

When your body expects to intake a drug like alcohol, it speeds up processes to accommodate it. If your body gets used to having three beers at a bonfire in your back yard once a week during the summer, it will start to anticipate that amount of intoxication even before you pop the tab.

The smell of the bonfire, the feeling of being in your back yard, and even the taste of your beer of choice can tell your body to expect a fresh shipment of ethyl alcohol, and it makes accommodations for it to affect you as little as possible.

But when the semester begins and you go to a party where there is no beer, your body will respond to the change. Instead of a bonfire, it’s a pool party, and instead of beer, you try another type of alcohol.

Even if the new drink is exactly as alcoholic as your usual brew, and even if you have the same amount of it, it’s going to affect you more than you’d expect because your body had not anticipated the intake of that drug.

“Just be aware that if you’re in a new situation, it’s best to take it easy,” Damask said.

Alcohol Dependence

But the feel-good feeling from alcohol isn’t the only reason you should be in tune with your tolerance; it also plays a huge role in alcohol dependence.

Every person can raise their alcohol tolerance until it reaches a trigger point where he or she needs alcohol to feel normal. For individuals with a family history of alcoholism, this trigger point could be lower than others.

In fact, people with a family history of alcohol dependence are four times more likely to develop a dependency themselves, Damask said.

Many students on campus do not choose to drink, but for those that do, Damask said the best strategy is to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible about one of the most popular drugs and how it affects your body.

When your body expects to intake a drug like alcohol, it speeds up processes to accommodate it. If your body gets used to having three beers at a bonfire in your back yard once a week during the summer, it will start to anticipate that amount of intoxication even before you pop the tab.”

Written by Andrew Hahn, UHS Web and Communications Assistant