When considering whether or not to drink or use other substances, it's important to understand the impacts on your well-being and the well-being of those around you. The information and strategies you will find on this website can help keep you safer and reduce harm should you or someone around you choose to drink alcohol.  

When it comes to alcohol, most people do set limits for themselves. For example, among Princeton undergraduates^*:

• 45% are current non-drinkers^** including 30% who have never used alcohol.  If these proportions seem high to you, consider that higher-risk drinking behaviors are more noticeable than the activities and effects of not drinking.
• Of those who had ever had alcohol, 60% reported 4 or fewer drinks the last time they drank it.

Whether you choose to drink occasionally, regularly, or not at all, you’ll find helpful tips on these pages to reduce harm from alcohol:

• Not Drinking? You'd be in good company. Explore why many students choose not to drink ever or on any given night and fun things to do on campus.
• Drink Smart If you drink, find out how to keep your BAC below 0.06 to avoid many of the negative effects associated with drinking.
• Help Someone Who Drank Too Much Understand the Red Zone (a BAC above 0.06), why it’s dangerous, and how to help someone who drank too much.
• Thinking About Planning a Party Tips for hosting safer parties.  
• Express Concern About Someone's Drinking Gain the skills to recognize someone's risky drinking and talk with them about it.
• Tools Discover more about how alcohol affects your body and other alcohol-related topics.

Before deciding to drink, you should know the laws in effect where you are.  If you are in New Jersey, know that that New Jersey law (.pdf) and University policy generally prohibits the purchasing, serving, and consumption of alcohol by and to people under 21.

^{*According to the 2022 UMatter Survey}

^{**Defined as not drinking any alcohol in the previous 30 days}