This week’s Counselor’s Corner, normally written by Dr. Jennifer Levy, is guest-authored by Mr. Chuck Daum. Mr. Daum is a Licensed Professional Counselor with UTM’s Counseling and Career Services, specializing in substance abuse issues.

Since the beginning of the school year, nine young people on college campuses throughout the U.S. have lost their lives to alcohol poisoning. We at UTM have felt we are immune to this epidemic, but as the story on the front page of The Pacer a couple of weeks ago shows, we are not. By a stroke of luck, a young woman was saved from the most dire consequence of excessive drinking - death.

As a counselor specializing in substance abuse issues, I have seen that few students are aware of the dangers of excessive use of alcohol. Many don’t realize that too much alcohol can kill.

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. It starts affecting a person from the first drink taken. It affects the person’s judgment, coordination and eyesight. As the blood alcohol level rises, heart rate and breathing begin to slow to dangerous levels. Alcohol affects people differently depending on their gender and weight, as well as other factors such as what they have had to eat, mood, medications and genetic predisposition. Alcohol poisoning becomes a danger when people drink large quantities in a short period of time. One of the reasons many students end up with alcohol poisoning is their use of hard liquor, such as vodka, gin or whiskey. When drinking “shots,” it is very easy to drink six, seven or more drinks per hour. Drinking games also contribute to large quantities of alcohol being consumed. Jello shots may taste good and make you feel good, but they are dangerous. To help avoid alcohol poisoning, don’t drink liquor and don’t participate in drinking games. This is not to say that beer or wine are harmless. A 12-oz. can of beer or a 6 oz. glass of wine contain just as much alcohol as a shot of liquor. However, it is easier to consume dangerous quantities of alcohol before you realize it if you are drinking hard liquor.

If you are at a party and find someone who is passed out, how do you know if he or she is suffering from alcohol poisoning? Symptoms of alcohol poisoning are: unconsciousness; inability to wake up; cold, clammy, unusually pale or bluish skin or breathing difficulties. If someone is breathing less than eight times a minute, or has a delay of ten seconds or more between breaths, this is a serious danger sign. A person who vomits while passed out and does not wake up during or after the vomiting episode is in a medical crisis, because he or she can die from inhaling particles of vomit into the lungs.

If you suspect alcohol poisoning, call 911 immediately! Do not leave the person alone. Turn the person onto his or her side. Watch their breathing. If you know CPR, perform as needed. Stand by your decision and look out for the safety of your friends. Always err on the side of safety. College students die every year because their friends think they are just “sleeping it off” and leave them alone when they are going into alcohol poisoning.

Here at UTM, we have formed an Alcohol Issues Task Force. Chaired by staff from Counseling and Career Services, it includes representatives from the Departments of Athletics, Housing, Health and Human Performance, Student Life and Student Health. Community representatives from Baptist Hospital in Union City and the Martin Police Department, along with students from several different organizations on campus round out the membership. It is the mission of the Task Force to recommend strategies to reduce underage drinking and high-risk drinking by UTM students.

As many of you know, the Martin Police Department has received a grant to reduce underage drinking and has become more aggressive in its enforcement of laws prohibiting underage drinking. As a consequence, those under the age of 21 are no longer allowed in many local bars, even if they are not drinking alcohol. More underage arrests are being made, and young people are aware of the presence of police officers in these establishments. Chief Moore of the Martin Police Department is a representative on the Task Force and reports the communication with the campus has greatly improved.

The staff of UTM’s Counseling and Career Services is developing programs to reduce alcohol use by freshman and to educate them about different aspects of high-risk drinking and the dangers involved. In conjunction with the Office of Student Life, the Counseling Center is trying to get chapters of GAMMA and BACCHUS started on campus. These are leadership organizations that are devoted to alcohol awareness and abuse prevention. They also address issues of impaired driving, sexual responsibility, marijuana and other drug use, eating disorders and tobacco use prevention. This is done by the use of peer educators. GAMMA is the organization affiliated with Greek organizations and BACCHUS is open to any student.

If anyone is interested in becoming part of either of these groups, please contact either Student Life (881-7527) or the Counseling Center (881-7720). You can also find information on the national website, www.bacchusgamma.org.

Hopefully, through these and other efforts, we can reduce the likelihood of another alcohol poisoning incident such as the one that happened recently and we can work to ensure the safety of all UTM students.