Regardless of the law, underage drinking is a common occurrence on most college campuses -- and unless you card guests at your parties -- you know you run the risk of serving alcohol to someone who's underage.

Too often, students conveniently tend to forget they're doing something illegal until someone gets hurt and people start asking whether to get that person the medical assistance he or she might need.

If it's serious enough, there should never be a question.

A person that has altered consciousness, slowed respiration and cool, pale skin might be experiencing alcohol poisoning, and it's the duty of any bystander to get that partygoer medical help immediately.

Don't just let this person sleep it off; if someone drinks too much alcohol quickly before falling asleep, the alcohol can shut down breathing and heart functions and kill a person within a few hours. Don't try to guess their level of drunkenness. Turn them on their side, call emergency personnel immediately and be prepared to try to tell them how much alcohol the person drank.

It's often not until someone looks as if they might need help that it starts to dawn on some people that they could get in trouble for providing this person with alcohol. Realize this: You'll be in a lot more trouble if he or she really does need help and you chose not to get it for them, and there's no guarantee that you'll face legal consequences. The hospital is not required to report underage drinking if the person is at least 18, and often will not. But if that person needed the medical attention and didn't get it, there will be much more serious charges, possibly involuntary manslaughter. Alcohol poisoning is a very serious thing. The victim could die or suffer permanent brain damage, among other things.

When you see someone who looks as if they need help, don't bother to guess their age. It's irrelevant by that point. More serious things are at stake.