Po' it up!

You’re sitting in class watching time go by on your clock because you know that as soon as it hits 1:50 p.m. spring break has officially begun!

There are no more worries. Midterms are done and over with and spring break has arrived! Parties, dancing, and getting drunk are the plan for the next week.

Students at CSULB are ecstatic about spring break because not only does it mean a seven-day break from books and homework, it also marks 5-6 weeks left in the spring semester!

For some students this means a nice getaway home for a week to spend time with family, especially for students from out of state or some hours away from home. For others, spring break is a time to have fun, party hard, and drink ‘til they pass out.

Alcohol is greatly consumed during the college years. Binge drinking is a common form of drinking during college. It was reported that 40% of students age 18-20 binge drink. In another recent study, 43% of college students admitted to binge drinking at least once a week. To binge is to consume more than 5 beers for men, and 4 for women.

photo from onlineuniversities.com

“Students have to realize how serious this issue with drinking can become,” said David McKay, professor of mathematics at CSULB. “Alcoholics are increasing in the younger generation and it seems like no one cares how this is affecting their body, especially the liver.”

The liver is the organ that is primarily affected when consuming alcohol. Your liver performs more than 500 functions to your body, the main one being to break down and eliminate toxins as well as breaking down fat. It is a vital source that our body needs to properly function.

Regardless of the effects alcohol has on someone, they are going to do what they want. This isn’t a way of trying to scare people out of drinking, but it is a way to be safe about it and to know the damage it is doing to the body.

Have a fun, exciting spring break and try your best to make smart decisions when it comes to alcohol.