College students have as much a reputation for partying as just about any other group — not that there’s anything wrong with that.But as hard as it may be to remember when intoxicated, University students need to be stay safe — especially when they’ve already willingly put themselves in a state of heightened vulnerability.Binge drinking (drinking five or more drinks in one sitting) is down from 49.7 percent of LSU students to 48.8, according to a 2009 CORE Alcohol and Drug survey by the CORE Institute at Southern Illinois University.But no matter how small or large a percentage of students partake in binge drinking, the percentage of students who binge drink or even drink at all need to make sure to stay as safe as possible when they know they will be drinking.The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office is on pace to issue more than 18 DWIs in 2009 to drivers ages 20-24 after issuing only 15 in 2008.Drinking three or four drinks in a sitting and then driving is just as dangerous as — if not more dangerous than — binge drinking, and drinking and driving could also hurt someone else.Walking home drunk isn’t much safer for drunk students because it leaves them open to criminals hoping to prey on vulnerable victims.And students can find ways to do plenty of other dangerous things whether they have more or fewer than five drinks.While drinking less would obviously be safer than drinking in excess, not everyone is going to make that choice.For those who choose to drink at all, the important thing is thinking ahead about rides and building the level of maturity and responsibility to know their own limit and make the safest choices possible during their heightened vulnerability.So whether you’re drinking two or drinking five, know your limits and play it safe.
 
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