EDITORIAL: Beware of horrors of Halloween binge-drinking
College drinking may not just be fun and games — reckless behavior can come at a cost
Halloween might be a single day on your calendar, but at Rutgers, like many other universities, Halloween festivities can span over nearly an entire week. For those who participate in nightlife and drink, this can be a prime yet dangerous opportunity for an infamous college "bender."
Huey's Knight Club has already announced its "HALLOWEEK" lineup of themed nights and discounted drinks leading up to October 31, which conveniently falls on the widely recognized $2 Tuesday. While week-long holiday celebrations like Halloween can undoubtedly be fun and exciting, they can also exacerbate the already prevalent and problematic culture of binge drinking on college campuses.
On the one hand, everyone is well aware of the fact that a significant proportion of college-age students will engage in drinking at their universities. Still, oftentimes, it is taken to an extreme that goes unchecked. It is no secret that drinking with the goal of "blacking out" or participating in "benders" during parties is not just normalized but largely glamorized as an integral part of the college experience.
This sort of drinking culture can cause college students to forget the dangerous consequences associated with extreme intoxication — until it is too late.
It is reported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism that from the ages of 18 to 24, approximately 1,519 college students are killed in connection to car crashes or accidental injuries that involve alcohol.
While some may argue that a small number of these college students actually die from alcohol poisoning, we cannot forget the much more common alcohol-related accidents, from clumsy falls to drunk drivers, that can result in devastating fatalities.
On top of this, Rutgers students specifically need to keep in mind that this problem has affected one of their own. Just last year, Rutgers student Armand Runte was a pledge of Theta Chi who drank "life-threatening amounts of alcohol" before falling down a flight of stairs that resulted in several fractures to his skull.
Allegedly, fraternity members did not take action for 3 hours. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. The article referenced, which details the pending lawsuit against Rutgers, notes how fraternity members at Penn State similarly waited "12 hours" to help 19-year-old Timothy Piazza after he fell down a flight of stairs.
This vicious pattern emphasizes one of the main problems when it comes to drinking culture on college campuses. Students do not take alcohol poisoning and alcohol-related injuries seriously enough. They wait too long to react when someone clearly needs help, and this could be for a number of reasons.
This hesitation may likely be due to the fear of getting in trouble with authorities if underage drinking is involved. While many students may be aware of state protections like Good Samaritan Laws, they may still fear repercussions from their universities.
Rutgers students should know that Rutgers upholds "Medical Amnesty," which means that if a student requests medical assistance for another student under the influence of drugs or alcohol, both students will not face disciplinary action for breaking the rules in relation to Rutgers' Code of Student Conduct for the possession of illegal substances.
While it is important to note that both students will need to explain what took place to their respective Conduct and Standards Office and may have to participate in "an educational program related to drugs or alcohol," these slight inconveniences are a much-preferred outcome to someone hurting themselves or someone else because they were drinking underage and wanted to avoid any conflict with the authorities or university.
Note: Medical Amnesty will not absolve students of disciplinary action if they are distributing other substances, assaulting someone, damaging property or if the event is in connection to a student organization.
On top of this, it is unfortunately reported that approximately 700,000 university students (ages 18 to 24) are assaulted by another student who has been consuming alcohol. Lauri Sidelko, University of Maine's director of Drug and Alcohol Education Programs, ventures in an article that this might be due to the fact that the disguise of a costume might give students a false sense of security, enabling them to "do things they wouldn't normally do."
In 2017, Colorado State University published a message in which its Victim's Assistance Team and Women and Gender Advocacy Center revealed that they confront "more sexual assaults than usual occurring during the week of Halloween" and that 5 to 7 percent of Student Conduct cases the previous year occurred during Halloween weekend.
While these are all serious and important statistics, this editorial is not to say that you should not go out during "Halloweek" and miss out on making memories with your friends. Still, all Rutgers students need to be smart and considerate of others.
Scarlet Knights can keep a few tips in mind going into the week of festivities:
Do not walk alone. Travel in groups as you walk around New Brunswick, arrive and leave with the same people you came with and share your location with your friends. If you choose to drink, monitor your drink count, have a designated driver and do not accept open drinks.
Because it is Halloween, many people will be going out in costumes. No matter how revealing someone's costume might be, it is no excuse to sexually harass them.
And perhaps, above all, if someone is in trouble, get help right away. Do not dismiss it as normal college drinking. Take alcohol poisoning seriously. Take sexual harassment and assault seriously. Help out a fellow Scarlet Knight if they need it. It is not worth the hesitation.
The Daily Targum's editorials represent the views of the majority of the 155th editorial board. Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.
