As classes are let out for the summer, students embrace a brief sense of freedom before the inevitable exam crunch begins. For many, it is the perfect excuse to celebrate, and for college students, that means "dartying." If you are not aware of this term, it means a party that occurs during the day and often entails heavy drinking. There is nothing wrong with wanting to commemorate a job well done. After many weeks of dreary winter weather combined with an often overwhelming amount of exams and papers, it is understandable that students want to have some fun. The problem arises when this fun gets out of control or is carried out for the wrong reasons.

The inspiration to write about this topic came from social media, where I saw classmates posting about how pumped they were to get "blackout" drunk. This is not OK. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, "Blackouts are periods of amnesia about things a person did or places a person went while intoxicated." Not only is this frightening, but it is dangerous. When you are not in control of your body, who is? A 2002 study at Duke University revealed the following alarming statistic about college students who had experienced a blackout: "Many had driven a car, had sexual intercourse, vandalized property or engaged in other risky behaviors during a blackout, according to the study. Several studies have found that students are more likely to sustain alcohol-related injuries during blackouts" (CNN).

Furthermore, drinking should never be used as a remedy for stress. With exams and final projects, there is bound to be a great deal of stress in the lives of college students. However, drinking is not intended to be a coping mechanism and is a hazardous practice when used as such. It can lead to a blackout, getting very sick or making other poor decisions. There are a great many healthy alternatives to handling stress, such as talking to a professional, taking some personal time or even getting some exercise.

This article is not a condemnation of my peers that enjoy drinking, nor is it a judgmental attack on how they choose to enjoy their free time. I believe drinking can be positive in a social setting, when done so in a responsible manner. There is no benefit to drinking to the point of amnesia, and I would claim that it is detrimental to most people who engage in it (particularly the next day). As the school year draws to a close and friends part for the summer, there is something to be said about making memories that will be remembered the next day and for years to come.