The long-standing effects of alcohol on important, life-or-death decisions are playing tough with college students across the nation. At least three local colleges, Brockport included, recently felt the traumatic blow of alcohol to their student body, seriously injuring, paralyzing or killing the future of the nation.Alcohol Toxicity
A recent report shows 31 young people died of alcohol toxicity in 2007 alone, a 63 percent increase from 2004, the two most recent years with complete data available. At least five deaths were reported in 2008.
Alcohol toxicity occurs when the individual has been poisoned by the amount of alcohol in his or her blood, yielding a BAC at or above .3. The BAC is measured by the weight of the alcohol in the volume of blood.
The recent death of SUNY Geneseo student Arman Partamian showed a BAC of .55, tested from the fluid of his eye. Partamian was drinking an assortment of beer, champagne, gin and vodka during the pledging process at an off-campus fraternity. The high BAC has been cited as one of the highest most New York State Police officers on the case have seen.
In March 2008, a student died on his 21st birthday at a Wisconsin college. He had allegedly participated in the "21 for 21" ritual for his birthday. Jesse Drew's BAC was .38 at the time of death, as he was found unresponsive on a couch in his home, drinking 21 beverages within hours of the start of his birthday.
The "21 for 21" ritual, or often "power hour" for non-celebrations, has become increasingly popular among college students, a third of women who drank on their 21st birthdays experienced a BAC of .26 or higher, a close line to where death becomes more imminent.
Over-consumption of alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions, such as breathing and the gag reflex (that prevents choking.) An increasing amount of alcohol can, and will, stop these functions. Without gag reflexes, unconscious individuals could face death by asphyxiation, as they choke on their own vomit.
Critical signs of alcohol poisoning include vomiting, seizures, slow or irregular breathing and hypothermia. If left untreated, breathing can slow and stop, the heart can stop beating and permanent brain damage can arise from dehydration. If you suspect alcohol poisoning for a friend, call for medical assistance. Even if a person has passed out, his/her BAC continues to rise, as alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream. CollegeDrinkingPrevention.org says it is dangerous to assume the person will be fine by sleeping it off.
The Harvard School of Public Health's College Alcohol Study (CAS) found less than 1 percent of drinkers required medical attention, and sought it themselves, after over-consumption of alcohol. Projected across the nation, that is 30,000 students of more than 5 million attending four-year colleges.
For those who do not succumb to alcohol poisoning, the "hangover" is likely to occur. A hangover is caused by dehydration, as alcohol increases urine production. Headaches, dry mouth and lethargy are likely to appear in 70 to 75 percent of the population, who are not immune to hangovers. Other enzymes break down and convert, impairing the liver's ability to supply proper products to tissues, particularly the brain. The lack of these sources of energy to the brain cause fatigue, weakness, mood disturbances and decreased attention.
There are no cures for hangovers, but beneficial remedies include drinking water, which makes a hangover shorter, exercise, which helps pump blood throughout the body, and time.
Driving While Intoxicated
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reported an estimated 1,700 college students die every year from alcohol-related, unintentional injuries, with a majority involving motor-vehicle crashes.
The CAS found among students who drove more than once a week, 13 percent reported driving after consuming five or more drinks (binge drinking), whereas 23 percent of students rode with an intoxicated driver. In total, 40 percent of traffic-related deaths are alcohol-related.
In 2007, Brockport's village police made 59 arrests for DWI, with an additional 23 made by University Police, according to the annual Monroe County Stop DWI report. For the entire county, 2,718 arrests were made, a 7 percent increase since 2006. The average BAC of intoxicated drivers was .146, nearly double the .08 limit.
Out of the 376 total alcohol-related crashes in Monroe County, 22 persons were killed, with an additional 312 injured. The college-age group, 18 to 24, represents the biggest percentage of persons killed or injured in accidents, with 36.3 percent of accidents attributed to the college-age group.
Sexual Assault and Unsafe Sex
Sexual assault and unsafe sex are repercussions many must face after a night of drinking. It's estimated more than 97,000 college-age students are victimized by sexual assaulters or are raped each year. A Duke University research study found slightly more than 4 percent of college women report being raped, while 72 percent of those were intoxicated at the time of the incident.
"There has not been one reported sexual assault case where alcohol or drugs has not been a factor on a part of the perpetrator, and in many cases, the victim is also been impaired by alcohol," University Police Chief Robert Kehoe said, in a 2007 interview.
With individuals under the influence of alcohol, there is high potential for misinterpreting signals, where potential victims are put into high risk.
Students can reduce their risk of becoming a perpetrator or victim of sexual assault by assessing risk factors in social situations where alcohol is present, a Columbia University study cites. Warning signs of a problematic location include when a person manipulates the situation so that he or she and the potential victim are secluded, or when a person's intoxication level reaches a particular level when sound decision-making is not capable.
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