Veishea is officially known as the annual weeklong celebration of Iowa State University and all it has to offer. Unofficially, though, Veishea is recognized as one of the largest parties in the Midwest. While many Iowa State students choose to consume alcohol regularly on the weekends throughout the rest of the school year, there’s something about Veishea that brings together abnormally large amounts of people to drink abnormally large amounts of alcohol.

Veishea happens to fall in April; a month that is nationally dedicated towards alcohol awareness. In the United States, four out of every five college students drink alcohol. According to the Core Institute, an organization that surveys college drinking practices, 300,000 of today’s college students will eventually die of alcohol related causes. This includes drunk driving accidents, liver problems, various cancers and heart disease.  

The average person’s body can hold 1 ounce of alcohol (i.e. 1 beer) per hour. When people surpass these limits it can start to have negative effects on the body. Short-term problems can include: damage to the heart, disruptive sleep, impaired judgment, decreased motor skills and dehydration. If too much is consumed too quickly, it can lead to alcohol poisoning and in some cases, death.

While most know of these short-term consequences, a lot of people don’t realize that alcohol can have long-term effects, too. Long-term drinking can cause heart disease, early signs of dementia, contribute to depression and various cancers. Due to the excessive amount of calories in many alcoholic drinks they tend to be a large contributor to the all-too-familiar weight gain a lot of students go through – commonly referred to as the “freshman 15.”

Most students have been taught about the dangers and effects that alcohol can have on our bodies sometime throughout their education. So why do these alcohol-related tragedies still occur? When asked this same question, Tamera Frederick, a certified substance abuse counselor in Iowa, said, “Individuals just think it can’t happen to them. They’re invincible. It happens to everybody else, but it can’t happen to them.”

So while Veishea is in full swing this week, remember it is also Alcohol Awareness Month. Be sure to enjoy all of the official activities offered; if you happen to partake in some of the “unofficial” Veishea outings, here are some simple tips to keep you and your friends safe:

• Take sips to slow down while drinking
• Alternate with a non-alcoholic beverage in between drinks
• Don’t ever leave a drunk person alone. “If you’re with them, you can see if they stop breathing,” said Frederick.
• Take away the keys of someone who is/has been drinking
• Always eat food before consuming alcohol

• Know your limits