Binge Drinking : Is it Worth It ?
Florida State University recently held a vigil for Andrew Coffey , who died after attending a party earlier in November . Even though there were plenty of other people at the party , Andrew was found unresponsive and it was too late to save him .
Maxwell Gruver , a student at Louisiana State University , died at the beginning of the Fall 2017 semester . Maxwell went to a party to kick off the new school year and drank so much while being hazed that he never woke up .
More than 4,300 young people under 21 die each year from alcohol .
7.7 million young people ages 12-20 reported drinking more than “ a few sips ” in the past month .
More than 90 % of the alcohol they consume is by binge drinking .
How many drinks is too many ?
There is no way to know exactly how much you can drink before it becomes dangerous . A lot of things factor in , such as how much food is in your system , your weight , your tolerance , and how quickly you are drinking . For the average person , the liver can only process one drink per hour , so if you are binge drinking heavily and quickly , things can get out of hand before you realize it . Once you become even a little inebriated , your decision making is impaired and you may not be equipped to know when you ’ ve passed the limit of what is safe for your body !
Alcohol Poisoning
One of the telltale signs of alcohol poisoning is vomiting , but this may not happen until after you pass out . Since alcohol poisoning can cause your gag reflex to stop working , this means you are at risk of choking on your own vomit in your sleep .
Alcohol poisoning can also cause your breathing and heartrate to slow or even stop altogether , cause your body temperature to lower so much that you experience hypothermia , and dehydrate your body enough to cause brain damage .
Protect Your Brain
Did you know that your brain continues to develop into your 20s ? Alcohol can affect brain structure and function . Even if you don ’ t become alcohol dependent , binge drinking can cause irreversible cognitive damage .
Look Out for Each Other , and Be Responsible for Yourself !
Always go to parties with friends you can count on . Make a plan to keep an eye on each other throughout the night , a pact that nobody gets left unattended , and a plan to have a designated driver or an Uber to get you safely home . If everyone in your group is drinking , though , be aware that you may not be able to count on them to look after you completely . The safest course of action is to make sure you are being responsible for yourself . The best way to do that is to abstain from drinking at all , but if you do drink , pace yourself and drink responsibly .
Hazing
Do your research before pledging ! Find out if the fraternity or sorority at the school you are looking into has had issues with hazing and binge drinking in recent years . If a fraternity or sorority has a reputation for pushing pledges beyond safe limits , consider that a red flag .
Because of recent alcohol-related deaths , colleges are cracking down on hazing in an attempt to keep their students safe , so don ’ t be afraid to tell someone if things are going too far . If something is making you uncomfortable , you do not have to do it . Don ’ t be afraid to stand up for yourself and those pledges next to you .
https :// www . cdc . gov / alcohol / fact-sheets / underage-drinking . htm
34 | Spring 2018 www . potentialmagazine . com