Recently, Iowa Public Radio ran a segment concerning Iowa’s ranking as one of the highest binge drinking states in the country. I was disappointed to hear that $2 billion is spent every year on excessive alcohol consumption in Iowa. I would wager that much of that amount comes from the college nightlife as America’s youth indulges in the pleasures of adulthood.

I am not so much unsettled by the staggering amount of coin shoveled out as a toll for a good time — the principle of the matter is really frivolous anyway. Just as well, alcohol consumption is a perfectly fine activity. Drinking lightens the mood, enhances the conversation and unites people under a common banner.

It is also true that many great writers and thinkers, such as Kingsley Amis, could punch out brilliant pieces of work while holding in an amount of liquor that would destroy weaker stomachs.

What is unsettling is the point at which alcohol becomes the master rather than the servant. When the booze governs our critical faculties and becomes the sole determinant of our enjoyment, we have lost a friend and gained an enemy. Unfortunately, this very condition has infected, or rather assumed, the identity of the college scene.

Personally, I don’t drink because I can’t drink. Various medical conditions present an impasse to my social obligations. Thus, I have the dubious privilege of being the permanent designated driver. Perhaps I am biased, then, when I report my observations of the drunk.

Having made this confession, I think it is high time we change the drinking culture here at Iowa State. I am now in my fifth year of college, and I’ve become increasingly frustrated and more annoyed by the obsession with drinking in these past few years.

Don’t get me wrong, drinking is fine, but binge drinking — which is much more frequent among college students — is not.

I am reminded of an old joke my friends and I have for those who graduate and still binge drink: “You’re not a student anymore, so you’re an alcoholic.” That very statement exemplifies the attitude of students toward drinking: Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol is acceptable because we are students. Therefore, we have an immunity to criticism.

Under no circumstance is drinking to the point of blacking out acceptable. Drinking oneself into a state of belligerence is irresponsible, stupid and immature. Most of all, binge drinking presents horrible prospects for one’s health. I can remember various instances when I was truly worried that I would lose a friend from overconsumption.

I don’t wish to impose my lifestyle on anybody and I certainly don’t mean to be a sycophant for the elitist, high society types. Everyone is free to make his or her own choices — of course, you don’t require my permission for that. Answers as to whether those choices are right or wrong are often subjective, anyway.

However, there must be a certain level of decency to which we students can hold true. It wouldn’t be an imposition to hold each other to this standard, either. There are acceptable limits to alcohol consumption, but if our friends and colleagues fail to abide by that social contract it is our right — our duty — to express intolerance. Maybe then we can restore our credibility as responsible young adults.

Many students are afraid to swim against the current and refuse invitations to “get hammered.” For those who feel they may cave to peer pressure, I can find no better anecdote than that of Dumbledore’s speech at the end of the first Harry Potter book: “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but just as much to stand up to your friends.”

Much more respect must be given to these abstaining students. Part of the art of responsible drinking is not only making sure those drinking are safe and have a good time but also those who are not drinking. We don’t have to shun people for going to the coffee shop on a Saturday night rather than going to the bars.

How can we reduce binge drinking? We can encourage our fellow drinkers to be responsible. But that only goes so far, and nobody wants to look like a parental figure. There’s nothing wrong with being stern, though. I urge you readers to call out your friends and family when they overindulge. Let them know that their actions are unacceptable. You’ll be doing them and the rest of us Cyclones a favor when you do.