Binge drinkers risk serious health problems

Editor's Note: This is the second story in a three-part series about the effects of alcohol on the University community. This story focuses on health.

Every weekend David Jones supervises trips to the hospital for students who drank so much alcohol they either passed out or could not stop vomiting.

Jones, manager of the Office of Emergency Medical Services at the University, said about 80 percent of the weekend calls the service receives are alcohol-related, and that's a problem.

"There's a problem with loss of consciousness or altered sensory, compounded by vomiting. You can die from that," Jones said.

More than 40 percent of University students binge drink, according to a Penn State Pulse survey, and students younger than 21 are drinking an average of 4.4 drinks per occasion.

Vomiting, loss of sensory perception and blackouts are some of the most serious short-term effects of drinking.

Although these are not uncommon at the University, many students said it's not deterring them from drinking.

About once a month, Miki Solt (junior-architecture) has to take care of friends who drank too much, she said.

"Some people don't know when to stop and it makes them physically sick," she said. "They're vomiting and they're at the point where they can't think straight and you have to keep them away from certain people they don't know."

Dave Rossello (sophomore-biology) has seen similar situations with his friends.

"I've definitely seen it happen. They're usually not as physically sick as just stupid," he said.

But after eight to 10 years of drinking, some of the effects become long-lasting.

Current drinking habits can lead to several long-term health effects, said Mike Taleff, coordinator of a chemical dependency program at the University.

The least known of those is premature aging, he added.

"If you're 23 and you want to look 40, start drinking a lot," Taleff said.

Taleff, who teaches classes to students obtaining master's degrees in chemical counseling, said his students are usually most surprised by this effect.

Premature aging typically begins after eight to 10 years of drinking alcohol, Taleff said. So, the effects are not usually obvious until after the students are out of school.

Inability to plan is another eight to 10 year effect of alcohol, Taleff said.

"The ability to plan is hit hard by extended drinking. This includes memory lapses and lows," Taleff said.

The long-term effects of drinking show up about 20 years after drinking, Taleff said.

These can include liver problems and a jaundice look, Taleff added.