We have reached the midpoint of the semester, a time where squirrels are frantically gathering acorns and people are getting in as much activity as they can before the sun starts going down. It is also a time where we usually start to see an increase in alcohol related incidents here at Case Western Reserve University.

Case Western Reserve University Police Department usually transports around 40 students a calendar year to the hospital for alcohol related issues, and those are just the most extreme cases.

We encourage students to notify us if you are dealing with someone who is intoxicated to the point of sickness or inability to care for themselves. Obviously, everyone’s priority is to get that person the medical care they need to prevent injury. Thousands of Americans die every year of alcohol related causes, and we don’t need to add to that here.

Additionally, it is undeniable that heavy alcohol consumption alters your behavior, and usually not for the better. Over the years, CWRU PD has had a lot of experience with these issues, ranging from finding students in bushes, passed out in a plate of food or throwing up in the Safe Ride van to more serious issues such as combative, intoxicated students punching, biting, or kicking police officers.

It is also undeniable that excessive alcohol consumption can put you at greater risk for sexual assault or robbery, since judgement and coordination are the first things affected by alcohol use.

Everyone is different when it comes to the consumption of alcohol, but, in general, if you are starting to lose control of basic bodily functions or speaking a language no one else seems to understand, it is probably past time to quit.

There is a classic scene in the movie Animal House in which Dean Wormer advises a pledge that “fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.” Remember Dean Wormer’s words, and enjoy alcohol if you choose, but use moderation.

On the Beat is a weekly safety column written by Sergeant Jeffrey Daberko & Officer Mark (The Crossing Guard) Chavis of CWRU PD. We welcome questions, suggestions and gripes/groans/moans/complaints about campus life at policecolumn@case.edu.