With Halloween just around the corner, ETSU Campus Recreation is encouraging all students to practice safe alcohol consumption practices this holiday weekend.
Campus Recreation has been an advocate for student wellness for years and has previously hosted the Booze Boo campaign that educates students on the correct limits for alcohol consumption, how to navigate a great abundance of alcohol, and many other factors that are vital to student wellness around the Halloween season.
Though Campus Recreation is not hosting the Booze Boo promotion event this year, individuals such as Halie Darby, the assistant director of student wellness here at ETSU, are strongly advocating for the education of ‘knowing your limits’ when drinking casually or in a party setting.
Drinking responsibly is essential to ensure all individuals involved are safe, healthy and happy. Alcohol poisoning is something that can occur very easily if one is not aware of their physical consumption limits or the alcohol content of a drink. It is difficult to discern whether an individual is simply intoxicated or has passed the threshold of safe drinking. According to sources provided by Campus Recreation, some common symptoms of alcohol poisoning include confusion, unresponsiveness, hallucinations, seizures, excessive vomiting, pale or blue tinted skin and even hypothermia.
If you suspect a friend is suffering from alcohol poisoning, do not wait to find out. Contacting Public Safety (423-439-4880) or a medical professional in the event of an emergency will not get the person in trouble for alcohol consumption and reaching out could potentially save their life.
To avoid these drastic situations, it is imperative to understand the alcohol content of the drink you or a friend is consuming. A standard 12oz beer contains 5% alcohol, a glass of wine (5oz) contains 12%, and a 1.5oz shot of liquor contains a whopping 40% alcohol. These are very big increases and can affect each person differently based on their weight, the amount of food they have consumed and many other physical factors.
Campus Recreation has also shared a few tips on how to drink responsibly and avoid these situations. Some tips include always designating a sober person to drive, keeping track of drinks virtually or with a friend, avoiding combining alcohol with sexual encounters and drinking water to quench your thirst before the initial consumption of alcohol.
Additionally, Campus Recreation also hosts their ‘Party Like a Buc’ seminar on the first or second Monday of each month. Though they just held their October seminar on Oct. 17, the department is holding two more coming up this semester. If you suspect a friend, or yourself, to be suffering from alcohol abuse, please contact the ETSU Counseling Center at 423-439-3333 or nearby resources such as Watauga Behavioral Health Services at 423-232-2600.
As a reminder for Halloween, Halie Darby said, “Remember to be safe this Halloween weekend and party like a Buc, because Bucs party responsibly!”
