The preparation and anticipation of Halloween are almost more exciting than the actual day, as people pick out their costumes and buy fake spider webs to string across their doorways.
Yet, there is one drawback to this wonderful week – the overwhelming amount of recklessness many students exhibit while partying on Halloween. That isnt something that goes unnoticed in a college town like Moscow.
Jessica Gee
The workload from midterms and Homecoming Week are over and most students are feeling the need to relieve some stress. While I do believe a bit of de-stressing after these past months is long overdue, this does not mean that students need to go completely insane for Halloween.
For some reason, every Halloween I see people making the same bad decisions. Some people think as soon as they put on some fake cat ears or a superhero cape, they are literally invincible. As binge drinking is common at college parties and during holidays like Halloween, the risks can become even greater.
Halloween parties have already begun, and there will be many more to come this weekend.
Just because there is a party every night, that doesn”t mean students have to go to every single one.
Not only is excessive partying and drinking harsh on the liver, but it can also lead to more dangerous situations like alcohol poisoning. It”s easy to think it will never affect you, but it”s terrifyingly easy to overdrink.
During holidays like Halloween it is hard to find celebrations that don”t involve drinking or other drug abuse. That”s why it”s important to find friends who will do activities sober like going to a corn maze or a haunted house.
An obvious golden rule for any night of partying, whether it be on Halloween or not, is to never drink and drive.
According to Edgar Snyder and Associates law firm, 38 percent of fatal crashes on Halloween involved a drunk driver and 23 percent of pedestrian deaths on Halloween included a drunk driver. These scary statistics may not be the first thing that comes to mind when people are searching their bags for their car keys Saturday evening, but precautionary measures are crucial to keeping everyone safe, not just the driver.
There is no excuse to be drinking and driving in a city like Moscow anyway, where practically any Halloween celebration is within a walking distance. No one should ever make such a stupid decision that risks their own life as well as the lives of other innocent people. Halloween certainly doesn”t give anyone an excuse to ignore that.
I am not against drinking and I certainly do not judge people who choose to drink. Halloween should be a day to have fun with friends and have a good time dressing up and attempting to scare everyone in sight.
However, ending up blacked out on the side of the road just because it”s an annual holiday is never fun for anyone. So count your drinks, please be safe and have a happy Halloween.
Jessica Gee can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jaycgeek