It is probably inevitable that a column on campus safety should address the issue of alcohol, so why fight the inevitable? All joking aside, since the start of the academic year, CWRU PD and various EMS agencies have transported at least 16 students to the hospital for treatment of alcohol-related symptoms. These transports have become a rite of fall that we aren’t nearly as fond of as pumpkins and apple cider. So a few things about drinking:

First, the basics— the legal age to consume or purchase alcohol in the state of Ohio is 21. Driving with a blood alcohol level over .08 is illegal and will result in your arrest.

If you do drink alcohol, there is a line from an old Clint Eastwood movie that applies: “A man’s got to know his limitations.” In this case, it is equally true for women. Alcohol is a chemical that will affect you in different ways, depending on factors such as gender, body weight and of course, amount and type consumed. There is no human body that is set up to deal with multiple shots of hard liquor in short periods of time, which is a scenario we encounter all too often here. If you are starting to lose control of basic bodily functions, or find that when you talk everyone is looking at you like you’re speaking Klingon, those are probably good indicators it is past time to quit.

If you see someone who has ignored Clint’s advice, please contact someone to get them the medical assistance they might need. Acute alcohol intoxication can be life threatening— the consequences for doing nothing to get someone the help they need will always be greater than the consequences of an alcohol policy violation.

Finally, alcohol consumption will eventually alter your behavior— there are no exceptions. Alcohol can make you feel more at ease in social situations, but it can also make you more vulnerable to crimes such as robbery and sexual assault as your defenses and awareness drop. It can also make you think you aren’t really being that obnoxious— it’s all fun and games until you wake up in a holding cell. So let’s all enjoy what fall in Cleveland has to offer, minus the hospital trips.

On the Beat is a weekly safety column written by Sergeant Jeffrey Daberko & Officer Mark (The Crossing Guard) Chavis of CWRU PD. Send feedback to this or other columns at policecolumn@case.edu.