With Iowa State taking on the Northern Iowa Panthers to kickoff the 2017 football season comes tailgating, boom cup and the return of “win or lose, we still booze.”

Most people know the drunk fan who ruined your game day experience or maybe the time that you didn’t make it into the game because you were too inebriated to do so. If your safety and the safety of others isn’t enough to convince you to drink responsibly, hopefully some other facts will.

In 2016, more people were charged by Iowa State Police for alcohol-related crimes in September than any other month that year. With students back on campus, football starting and nice weather, it doesn’t seem to be much of a surprise.

At least 84 people across Iowa were killed in alcohol-related traffic incidents, The Des Moines Register reported. In 2012, alcohol-related crashes cost the nation $37 billion annually.

“Moderate alcohol consumption is defined as having up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men,” according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, while binge drinking usually means “five or more drinks on a single occasion for men or four or more drinks on a single occasion for women, generally within about two hours.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention lists the following health issues related to excessive alcohol use:

• Chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis (damage to liver cells); pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas); various cancers, including liver, mouth, throat, larynx (the voice box) and esophagus; high blood pressure and psychological disorders.

• Unintentional injuries.

• Alcohol use disorders.

Let’s get something straight, drinking isn’t great for you and you by no means have to do it — but a lot of people do. We aren’t saying not to drink, we’re just saying you should do so responsibly. If you choose to drink, keep your safety and the safety of others in mind.