A Rutgers student may have died from alcohol poisoning this past weekend. She isn’t the first and unfortunately will not be the last. Why do we jeopardize our lives in these moments? Was she having too much fun? Was someone pressuring her? Was she so unhappy she didn’t care? We will never know what was going on for this college student, but her life ending the way it did is tragic for her friends and family.
Hers is a tale of caution, but I wonder if anyone will listen to it. When you and your friends go out drinking, do you know your limits? Have you thought about the consequences of what can happen if you drink too much? Most likely, the answer is no to both. Most teens don’t think that far ahead. The goal is to have a good time or feel they are invincible. They don’t ever think something bad could happen to them and they are too focused on the fun. Sadly, it can happen at any time and when you least expect it, if you aren’t taking precautions. Telling you not to drink isn’t realistic (even if you are underage because it probably wouldn’t stop you) but there are ways to be careful and safe.
Have a plan before going out. This doesn’t mean you have to strategize your whole night, but know what your limit is and where your friends will be. So you are having fun and everyone is doing shots. Does that mean you can’t have any? No, but limit the number you do have. Have water with your alcohol and space out your drinks over many hours. The biggest issue for teens is they do not realize that consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time will do great damage, as it did for this Rutgers student. It will hit you fast and knock you over. You may start slurring your words and stumbling, so your judgment will be even more impaired. You may not realize how drunk you are and make bad decisions as a result.
Never leave a party without anyone knowing where you are or with someone you don’t know. That can present another level of danger you must have the wherewithal to avoid. A UVA student, after a night of drinking, is now missing. She was seen stumbling around the area and went for more alcoholic drinks in a bar with an unknown person. You don’t want to ever be in this situation. Go as a pack and leave as one. You need to not only watch out for yourself but your friends as well. You have to be mindful of each other, how much you have had to drink, who you may be talking with and where everyone is at the end of the night. So know your limits as well as your peeps. That’s what friends do.
