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It's all fun and games until someone gets alcohol poisoning

July 16, 2014
	<p>Gartee</p>

Gartee

When I got my acceptance letter to MSU a flood of questions rushed into my head: What will the classes be like? Am I going to be able to handle this kind of change? What am I going to do with all of this freedom? It was a lot to take in.

Both my parents were very excited, and while we worked out the logistics I could tell there was a small, yet noticeable, elephant in the room.

I was going to attend a large, public university. I would have total freedom and would probably (definitely) go out with friends and get sloppy on the weekends.

I have heard stories of college students finally reaching the pivotal 21-year milestone, tossing away their fake IDs and getting into trouble on their birthday anyway. There is no short supply of binge drinking culture on a college campus, especially MSU.

In college towns, drinking is seen as a fun, exciting and new activity that exemplifies the carefree, coming-of-age attitude. Peer pressure plays a significant role, as well: “Never done a beer bong before? Try a two-story one!”

The problem with that attitude is it can quickly become destructive.

The CDC just released a statement that shows one in 10 deaths among adults ages 20-64 is a result of excessive alcohol use.

These deaths included both long-term effects such as cancer and liver problems and short term consequences like alcohol poisoning.

College students are more likely to hear about short-term deaths and injuries as it takes years of drinking to build up to liver problems.

During my first semester, I was waiting in line for a party cruise down the Grand River when I saw a woman being carried away on a stretcher.

After I asked around, I discovered she was unresponsive due to binge drinking.

It is events like these that we have to be weary of. Yes, it can be fun to get wild with your friends after a hard week of studying and tests. Some people believe the point of a night out is to push your limit, but we have to be aware of what this culture can do to people. There can be serious repercussions from one more, seemingly harmless, shot or glass of beer.

This culture can also have an effect on the long term.

Drinking can move from “I only drink on the weekends,” to “I have a few beers with dinner every night,” to “I have scotch with breakfast every morning,” faster than you might think.

The frivolity of drinking in college can create a scenario where identifying a problem is difficult. It is hard to tell a friend they might have a problem with drinking too much, when many of your friends are doing the same thing.

This can lead to an addiction and in turn, the health problems that come with it.

I’m not going to be a buzzkill and say partying should be banned. In moderation, getting wild and crazy can be a fun, even integral part of the college experience. But as students, we should stay aware of the potential hazards with drinking both short- and long-term.

We need to change the way we view drinking as a whole. If students continue to view alcohol as the main ingredient for a good time, then the problem will never be solved.

Derek Gartee is a social relations and policy junior. Reach him at garteede@msu.edu.

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