It was a ’70s themed house party off Brightside Drive. About 15 people gathered around 10 p.m. on a cold night to shirk off the stress of the week. As more partygoers arrived in disco-inspired ensembles, the anticipation built. It was about to happen – a game of beer pong was in the works. The first throw bounced off the red Solo cup and sailed off the table – a closet door – into the damp grass of the night. Brittany Prator, international studies senior, picked it up and handed it to her partner Brent Perry, marketing senior, who lightly dipped it in water and continued playing. During the course of this single game, the ball continuously flew off the table, hitting an air conditioning vent and rolling through grass where people – and a puppy – had traversed. At one point Perry stopped the game to show an unidentifiable object floating in his cup. After showing everyone, Perry, an avid beer pong player, threw his head back and drained the cup – along with the unidentifiable object. The game continues. Beer pong has been a popular drinking game among University students. But many students fail to think of the potential health risks associated with the game. And when students become aware of the risks, they are apathetic, opting to play on. “No, absolutely not. I’ve played next to urinals,” Perry said responding to whether he thinks beer pong is sanitary. Perry said the water in the water cup washes off the big chunks, but he is sure bacteria is still on the ball. “It’s like see no evil,” Perry said. “If I don’t see it, then I’m all right.” Other students agreed they would rather not think about the health risks of beer pong. “I prefer not to think about it in those terms,” said Brian Weaver, international studies senior. The beer pong players said they take measures to ensure safety – no sick people were allowed to play that night. “I was this close to chugging NyQuil, and then I got the call to come to the party,” said Justin McGehee, physics freshman. McGehee said he was not upset about not playing beer pong and insisted he would not have played even if the other players wanted him to because he was sick. “People are pretty considerate,” McGehee said. “If people are sick, they’re not going to play.” Perry added if people did not care about safety, the water cup would not have been created. But not all students are reassured. Prator said she does not like to drink after people. “It’s the quickest way to get sick,” Prator said. Prator said she generally wipes cups before she uses them. “It’s a very likely environment that something could be transmitted from one person to another,” said Kathy Saichuk, Wellness Education coordinator, specializing in alcohol and drug abuse. Saichuk said the most common transferred pathogens are colds and the flu. But other ailments like mono, hepatitis and staph could also be transferred, though it is less likely. She said intestinal problems could also develop because players may not wash their hands after using the bathroom or the ball may roll through matter tracked from the bathroom. Saichuk said a party environment increases the risk of catching diseases. She said alcohol impairs the immune system’s ability to fight diseases. College students may already have lowered immune systems because of staying up late, having an improper diet or living in dorms where students are exposed to more illnesses, Saichuk said. Saichuk said playing in bars adds more risk to the game because of the increased amount of people. She said beer pong in a bar could be the start of an epidemic because of the variety of people visiting the bar. She said it is less of a health risk to play with people you know who are probably exposed to the same pathogens. Saichuk said to make the game healthier, players should bring their own cups and use an antibacterial spray to sanitize the ball and table. “I don’t see the game being very prolific if you have to go through that,” Saichuk joked. Students said the reason they continue to play beer pong is the excitement and fun of the game and will not stop because of the potential danger. “People can get sick from many different things,” Weaver said. “It may get a few people sick, but it’s not killing anyone.”
—-Contact Allen Womble at [email protected]