As of Jan. 1, anyone convicted of possessing a false identification card will lose his or her driving privileges for one year, and then he or she must reapply for a driver’s license.

Thus, get rid of fake ID’s before Jan. 1, said Lt. Christopher Stone of the University Police Department. Stone was the speaker for “How to Drink in Charleston and Not Get Arrested” presentation Monday.

Stone began the lecture by asking questions of the audience in the packed room.

“What percentage of college students drink?” Stone asked.

The answers ranged from 75 to 90 percent. Actually, according to a recent study of Eastern students, 74 percent of students drink zero to four drinks in a sitting.

“I am not going to take your name down, take your ID and arrest you tonight,” Stone said, which was followed by laughter.

The rest of the talk was led by questions asked by the audience.

The audience was surprised to hear that the cost of a DUI, not including the insurance and medical costs, is about $6,000 to $7,000. The cost includes the fine, the alcohol program the person has to go through and the attorney the person has to pay for, Stone said.

The legal blood alcohol content level is .08 for anyone who is 21 years of age or over, but for anyone younger it’s “zero tolerance.” If someone is 21 and has a blood alcohol content under .08, the person can still be convicted of a DUI, depending on how the person is driving, Stone said.

“If you are just speeding, you may not get convicted,” Stone said.

It’s best to cooperate with police officers and be truthful when caught, Stone said.

“If you don’t cooperate, you could be charged with felonies instead of misdemeanors,” Stone said.

An example of not cooperating is using a fake name, which can have serious consequences.

When drinking, everyone should consider the consequences that will follow later in life, Stone said.

Stone gave an example of a student who had celebrated her 21st birthday with friends. Her friends took her to every bar, then took her to her room and tucked her in.

She slept in a loft, and she woke up a few hours later, still very drunk. She forgot she slept in a loft and fell, dislocating her shoulder.

She will never be able to play tennis again because of the incident.

Stone gave a few guidelines for students to keep themselves from getting arrested. They are as follows: don’t drink on an empty stomach because food slows alcohol absorption, don’t play drinking games, drink non-alcoholic beverages between alcoholic drinks, limit yourself as to what you will drink and spend on alcohol and don’t act obnoxiously while intoxicated.

Tyler Newberry, a freshman graphic design major, found the presentation very informative.

“I was curious about Project 21. That’s why I came here,” Newberry said.

Jessica Sempek, a graduate student with a major in family and consumer science, planned the program for Alcohol Awareness Week.

“I’m pleased with the turnout,” Sempek said.

Peggy Morris, a senior family and consumer science major, was shocked that the majority of Eastern students only drink zero to four drinks in a setting.

“I do like the fact that as long as you are on campus not getting ‘sloppy drunk,’ no one will give you any crap,” Morris said.