Some people don't know when to say when. For their own safety, it's about time Michigan joined in the fight to stop hazing.

Following the lead of the 43 states that already outlaw hazing, local lawmakers are pushing to create anti-hazing legislation as early as the end of the year.

Michigan stands with Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wyoming as the only states that have not implemented anti-hazing laws.

While extreme cases of hazing are not normal, they do happen at both the high school and collegiate level. Peer pressure is highly influential for American youth and something should be done so students will not be hurt in the future.

Efforts in Michigan to create an anti-hazing bill are a response to an alleged hazing incident last month at the University of Michigan.

Eight fraternity pledges at U-M's Sigma Chi chapter were forced to perform rigorous exercises for hours without food or water, causing one 21-year-old junior to be hospitalized with kidney failure.

The fraternity since has had its status revoked by the university's Interfraternity Council and been shut down by its national chapter. The university is still investigating the issue.

The push for anti-hazing legislation in Michigan is one of those unfortunate instances of reaction instead of action.

It is sad that someone had to get hurt in order for such behavior to garner enough concern to initiate legislation.

But at least it's a step in the right direction.

Anti-hazing laws would have helped in the case of the hospitalized U-M student. Because victims usually consent to participate in hazing of their own free will, police and prosecutors have trouble finding legal fault with the hazers.

Another serious instance of hazing occurred at Ferris State University in 2000 when a student died of alcohol poisoning.

The 19-year-old had taken 27 shots of alcohol during an initiation for the fraternity Knights of College Leadership and died the morning after.

MSU has had recent cases of hazing too. Last year, new members to the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity entered the Mason and Abbot cafeterias wearing sleeveless pink T-shirts with phrases such as "Fag Hairstylist" and "Capt. Gay Sex" written on the backs.

The fraternity was suspended and its members were evicted after the incident.

The greek community at MSU takes hazing seriously, with many chapters offering rigorous education programs on the dangers of hazing for both new and returning members. This is a positive move, but the issue should be taken one step further.

Hazing can get out of hand, sometimes to the point of being severe and harmful.

For those cases, anti-hazing laws should be put in place. Whether at the high school or collegiate level, students feel the pressure to fit in and often don't know what's in store for them when they are hazed.

For their inability to say when and for the poor judgment of the people who commit the hazing, it's time such behavior was simply made illegal.