You know the moment you've had too much to drink. It's the moment where everything begins to feel more dazed than funny - as if those two things could be interchanged. The world whooshes, and, in the back of your mind, you know this is just a precursor to sickness.
At this point, the line between falling into a dark spiral of illness and pulling back into lucidity is thin. Depending on how much alcohol is yet to catch up with you, there is a slim chance you might avoid a trip to the toilet bowl.
When someone turns 21 they might feel empowered to drink as much as they like - as if it were a rite of passage for them to consume as much alcohol as humanly possible. It's rituals such as these that caused tragedies such as the Bradley McCue case.
McCue was an MSU student who died of alcohol poisoning after drinking 21 shots on his 21st birthday in 1998. He became a very visible example of the dangers of drinking too much. It was because of him that many of East Lansing's bars developed policies to handle 21st birthdays. Fortunately, since 1998, no one has repeated McCue's mistake. His story is often retold to remind people that going over the edge can result in dire consequences.
Among some of the policies instituted in bars were carding to learn the ages of people within the birthday party and establishing a designated driver for the group. Bars also focused on setting drink limits and not giving out free drinks. Harper's Restaurant & Brewpub, 131 Albert Ave., doesn't even admit people to the bar on their 21st birthdays.
The seriousness of the loss warranted this extreme reaction, but it's still a shame these policies had to be instituted in the first place. It's sad students have earned a reputation for going to such an extreme that one bar won't even allow students to celebrate in its establishment. It's sad the ones who do have to baby-sit celebrants.
The enjoyment of a 21st birthday party doesn't have to, and shouldn't, be so dangerous. The culture of celebration within East Lansing needs a deeper examination. Although it makes sense to have a drink when you come of age, people should not feel the need to step over the edge. Everyone knows the consequences they face: the sickness, the headaches, the pain, possible death.
It's upsetting and depressing to see students who are unable to exercise responsibility in their drinking. College is a time to grow and mature, but many seem slower on the uptake when it comes to alcohol. This is not to say the whole MSU population needs to be lectured. As with most bad perceptions, it's often a few who ruin it for everyone.
Regardless, during spring break, or any time you are out drinking, we hope that celebrating with friends won't be excessive. Stories such as McCue's only serve to warn or help us remember what can happen when you over drink. You don't have to wake up in the morning to swear another oath to never drink too much again - swear it now.
Save yourself some money, some dignity and maybe your life.
