Drinking and partying generally go hand-in-hand on a college campus, but University of Memphis students should think twice before getting into a car after a long night of partying.
Drunk driving can lead to hundreds of dollars worth of fines, jail time, license revocation and possibly even death.
Amy Ewing, a 23-year-old Ole Miss student, was killed last Saturday, before the second week of school had even begun, while leaving a football game. A fellow student, allegedly driving the car that hit her, was charged with driving under the influence.
Ewing's death is only one of many.
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), 37 percent of Tennessee's total traffic deaths in 2003 were alcohol-related.
Why are students so seemingly careless?
Dr. Jim Whelan, a faculty member in the psychology department, offers an answer.
"Adolescence is a time when a person's mortality does not seem real," Whelan said. "College-aged students just don't see their vulnerabilities."
Jessica Bearden, junior journalism major, said she has never driven drunk.
"If I am in a group of people, there is always a designated driver. I don't go somewhere if I don't know that there is a safe way home," Bearden said.
According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 30.7 percent of students in 2001 rode one or more times with a driver under the influence of alcohol. An estimated 13 percent actually drove a car under the influence one or more times.
First-time DUI offenders, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, will be charged with fines, 48 hours worth of jail time and license revocation of one year.
The THP also points out that other miscellaneous fees of up to almost $5,000 could be added, including towing fees, bail, court-costs, and a reinstatement fee.
Although drinking in general is not usually encouraged, drinking "low-key" is a respectable substitute for those hangover inducing, "cannot remember what happened last night" binges, according to FACE Truth and Clarity on Alcohol, a national nonprofit organization that supports the "low-risk" drinking behavior of the majority of the general public.
Among other things, FACE provides some guidelines to "low-risk" drinking, including slow drinking (one drink per hour) drinking alcohol with food or consuming non-alcoholic beverages.
Whelan condones this "low-risk" drinking.
"People are stupid about alcohol. Positive benefits come from a low and moderate amount, such as improved (sociability)," he said. "As you go beyond a little bit, that's when people start getting violent, for example."
But even a minimal amount of alcohol can cause tragic consequences.
"I had a friend in high school that died because of alcohol," said Myla Young, a 20-year-old communications major. "He and the driver were drinking while they were driving around. Students don't take as seriously as they should the fact that they could kill someone."
For more information about alcohol abuse pick up some brochures in the Hudson Health Center or visit faceproject.org .
