Alcohol-related citations hit record high

This archived article was written by: Gypsie Delgado

Gypsie Delgado
staff writer
[email protected]
CEU ends the semester with an estimated 15 unlawful consumption/possession of alcohol and one public intoxication tickets. According to Officer James Prettyman, six of those ended in arrests, all students averaging around age 18.
“Everything has increased this year, this is the highest year in CEU’s history for felony level crimes, theft, burglaries, alcohol and drug offenses,” Prettyman stated.
There were only three students caught with alcohol last year.
“Students are more likely to binge drink during the first two weeks of school (because of parties, events, getting to know people), during spring break and on special occasions (sporting events, dances, etc).
“Most students who binge drink, drink with the purpose of getting drunk. So they think the more alcohol I consume the better time I’m going to have, without thinking of the consequences. Binge drinking increases your risk of alcohol-related injuries or death, legal problems, unplanned pregnancy, transmission of STD’s, and acquaintance rape, ” stated Dede Howa, CEU’s director of ATOD Prevention Program.
Binge drinking is defined by drinking five or more drinks in one sitting for men and four for women. (A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, four-ounces wine, 1 ounce of liquor) Nationally about 31 percent of college students drink more than four drinks per sitting.
“Utah’s drinking rates are extremely low, only 15 percent of college students statewide drink more than once a week. CEU’s drinking rate is a little higher at 18 percent.
“Alcohol affects all parts of the brain, affects your heart rate, coordination, speech and destruction of brain cells. Alcohol may encourage aggression by disrupting normal brain mechanisms that normally restrain impulsive behavior such as aggression. Heavy drinking over many years may result in serious mental disorders or permanent, irreversible damage to the brain or peripheral nervous system. Even one or two drinks affect your reaction time, judgment and coordination,” said CEU’s ATOD Prevention Coordinator, Mandee Kraync.
An underage drinking ticket could range anywhere from $280 to $1000 depending on the situation and the cost of a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) ticket costs around $1,500 to $1,800.
Section III of CEU’s residential life procedure and policy handbook states, “alcohol is strictly prohibited in residential life halls and in any location. This includes, but not limited to, closed or open alcohol containers with alcohol in them, alcohol containers that are empty (empty alcohol containers may not be used for door decoration), and illegal drug paraphernalia. This also means that residents who consume alcohol off campus and return to campus with alcohol in their system are in violation of this policy. Residents who are found in violations of this policy two times will permanently leave residential life facilities.”
“Don’t chance it at CEU, it’s too small of a campus. If you are going to use alcohol and things do it somewhere besides here and sober up before you come back because we don’t want you here, you’re not welcome here under those conditions and that’s for the good of the population of this campus,” expressed Prettyman.
Kraync feels that it is important to have an age limit a substance [alcohol] that needs education before use. “It is important for people who drink to know the risks involved and the way it will affect you individually. A person needs to be mature enough to accept the risks and make the choice to drink or not to drink. The brain is not capable to plan for and make complex judgments such as this until the age of 21. The brain continues to develop until the age of 25. The ATOD office recognizes that this ideal age isn’t a reality for most college campuses and encourages students to seek education so they may make informed choices.
“The best rule to follow is to have no more than one drink (12-ounce beer, four-ounce glass of wine, 10-ounce wine cooler, or one ounce shot of liquor) per hour. Each alcoholic drink raises a persons’ Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) by .02 percent. A BAL of .05 percent is when your judgment becomes affected. Your BAL depends on if you are male or female, your height and weight, and the time frame you’re drinking.
“Know your limits and don’t drink more than you can handle. Eat first; with food in your stomach, alcohol gets absorbed more slowly. Slow down! Pace yourself by alternating alcoholic drinks with nonalcoholic drinks; try drinking a glass of water with every alcoholic drink you have. Avoid drinking games. Plan ahead not to drive if you’re drinking. Avoid other drugs including cold medicines and pain relievers when you drink. For personalized information on your BAL stop by the CEU ATOD Prevention Program in the SAC Building room 118,” said Howa.