By M. Kathryn Hanberg

December 6, 2007 | The party picks up speed as the drinking starts getting more out of hand. Students are drinking beer and shots of whiskey like they're water.

What started with one Bacardi Silver Raz straight out of the bottle has now turned into five, and it has only been 45 minutes into the party for one individual. She has a shot of a mixed drink with tequila, vodka, whiskey, rum and gin in it and proceeds to finish her Bacardi. Each Bacardi is equivalent to one beer.

She finishes the last of her six-pack and stumbles around the house trying to find something else to drink.

By the time she is finished, she has finished not only the six of Bacardi, but also more than a half-bottle of vodka. It has only been an hour and a half since she began drinking.

The alcohol has started hitting her hard. The rest of the night is a blur as she wakes up the next morning on the couch.

This example is from a female student at Utah State University who has asked to stay anonymous. We will call her Sally.

"I honestly don't know if I have a drinking problem or not," said Sally. "Sometimes I get a worried about the amount I drink in one setting. When I start, I can't seem to stop."

A second student, whom we will call Erin, said, "I don't remember Friday night because of alcohol."

USU prevention specialist Ryan V. Barfuss said binge drinking is a problem among college drinkers.

They come in as a freshman with a new freedom they did not have at home, said Barfuss.

"It's almost like they have a rite of passage and chance at freedom," said Barfuss.

Sgt. Joe Huish of the USU Police Department believes there are many reasons college students drink. In addition to their new freedom, they are in a new environment and have social pressures.

Huish said he believes students think "more people drink than actually do," and for that reason begin drinking.

Problems with alcohol don't come only from binge drinking. Though only about 30 percent of college students who drink, about 15 percent are high-risk drinkers, according to the Utah Higher Education Health Benefit Survey from 2007. Though this number sounds small, it stands for many hundreds of students on the USU campus.

Alcoholism doesn't occur overnight. It is a gradual process. Barfuss described it as being in four phases. During the first phase, the individual can go to a social event regardless of alcohol. The second phase involves the individual anticipating the alcohol to be at the event. The third phase is when the individual obsesses over the idea of alcohol at the event. He or she may drink every weekend and will bring alcohol if needed. The fourth and final phase is when the body "has to have it" in order to function. The individual's schooling can be significantly affected.

Along with the drinking come side effects. There are legal side effects as well as health ones. Most of those who drink know the health side effects, such as hangovers and impaired judgment, as well as more severe side effects such as alcohol poisoning, permanent damage to vital organs and fetal alcohol syndrome in the case of a pregnancy.

Huish said the HOWL is the worst time of year. The HOWL is an annual Halloween party hosted by USU. He said the USU Police Department have sent at least one individual to the emergency room due to extreme alcohol intoxication at the HOWL every year for the last several years.

The legal side effects can be severe as well.

"If you are underage, it is never worth it," said Huish.

An MIP, minor in possession, costs $492 minimum, and offenders must appear before a judge. It is a Class B misdemeanor and will show as a criminal record.

Other legalities can occur as well, such as supplying to minors, which is also a Class B Misdemeanor with a $782 fine, and intoxication because the offender is "being a pest," said Huish.

Also mentioned was a DUI, driving under the influence. This can cost a minimum of $1,327 and upwards of $5000.

An anonymous student said, "Don't drink if you can't handle it. If you constantly find yourself regretting the night, then stop."

So, if you do choose to drink, experts urge you to remember the 0, 1, 3 rule. According to Barfuss, the 0, 1, 3 rule means no drinks if you are underage or have a history of alcoholism, one drink per hour and no more than three drinks a day. A standard drink in the United States is 12 ounces of beer, 8 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of wine or one shot of distilled spirits or liquor.

If you or someone you know need help overcoming an alcohol addiction. many places in Logan, and on the USU campus, can help you. You can contact any of the following: Bear River Health Department, 792-6420; Logan Regional Hospital, 716-1000; USU Wellness Center, 797-1660; and USU Counseling Center, 797-1012.

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