BOO! Oh, goodness! Is it that time of year again already? That鈥檚 right, folks! Halloween is almost upon us and with that comes Halloweekend! This is my and my friends鈥 favorite weekend of the Fall semester. Whether it鈥檚 dressing up, going out to party or just binge eating candy, it鈥檚 always a fun time of the year. But with fun can also come some scary situations, like those Halloween movies that start off as a prank and then turn rather鈥ark. Halloween can include a whole spectrum of activities, and some of those activities could range from staying sober to drinking and dancing. No matter your personal relationship with substances, it鈥檚 never a bad idea to carry some harm reduction strategies with you. Who knows? It might come in handy. So let鈥檚 do a quick reminder on how you can keep both your friends and yourself safe on All Hallows’ Eve.
Know Your C.U.P.S.
Let鈥檚 do a quick refresher on the signs of alcohol poisoning. There鈥檚 an easy-to-remember acronym to keep in mind that consists of听four uppercase letters and a smaller, quieter, yet still equally important one.
C Stands for鈥 Cold and听Clammy Skin
Yes, 黑料不打烊 is a cold city, but if you or your friends were partaking in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, feeling cold could be a symptom of alcohol poisoning. Alcohol is like hot apple cider, but only because it gives you the feeling of being warm despite the opposite actually occurring. As your liver metabolizes the drug, your core body temperature is steadily lowering, which in turn results in the feeling of cold and clammy skin. This can be hard to notice, especially if you鈥檝e been standing outside in the cold waiting to catch a trolley, so keep a wary eye out.
U Stands for鈥 Unresponsive
Usually, people think the 鈥淯鈥 stands for 鈥渦nconscious,鈥 which could definitely be a sign of alcohol poisoning, but if you wave your hands in front of a friend鈥檚 face and they keep staring straight ahead, now that鈥檚 being unresponsive, not necessarily听unconscious. You don鈥檛 have to shake them and rattle them around, but if your friend is looking directly through you as if you鈥檙e a ghost this Halloween鈥 that鈥檚 definitely some cause for concern.
P Stands for鈥 Puking
Throwing up is your body鈥檚 way of telling you to stop in an extremely physical and grotesque way. As it expels the alcohol from your system, vomiting can also cause both rotting and corrosion to your teeth. Think of it (鈥渋t鈥 being alcohol, not puking) like candy鈥攊t can be great in moderation, but definitely not frequently, and even more so not in vast amounts.
S Stands for鈥 Slurred Speech/Slowed Breathing/Seizures
Slowed breathing can be a sign that someone鈥檚 heart rate is slower than it should be. And when it comes to seizures鈥ust call 911. Everyone鈥檚 body works differently, but just call 911 to be safe. Slurring words can make it awfully hard to understand someone. This can be particularly dangerous when it comes to consent, too. While an individual under the influence cannot legally give consent, there is an even larger risk of misunderstanding someone if their words are not clear, especially when there is a chance that the other person could be intoxicated as well. Either way, that aspect of shared understanding is immediately lost. (.)
(Silent) E Stands for鈥 Erratic Behavior
Have you or a friend ever drank and you couldn鈥檛 even recognize one another? Were you all acting differently? Maybe more aggressive than usual, or even a lot more wacky? When alcohol affects your brain, the first area it affects is your frontal lobe, which controls your personality, your ability to make sound decisions and your ability to control impulsions. When you drink this is all toned down鈥nd you can become someone even you don鈥檛 fully know.
Now you know the signs. If you see someone showing these signs of alcohol poisoning, call for help鈥911 or 315.443.2224.
Reducing Harm Via Harm Reduction Strategies
I swear I hate watching scary movies, especially those low-budget slashers, because I always think, 鈥淲hat are they doing?鈥 They have no common sense! I know it鈥檚 a movie, but still! Regardless, make sure you don鈥檛 end up feeling like you鈥檙e in your own bad horror movie by following some simple harm reduction tips. 听
First, have a (charged!) battery pack on you, or at least make sure your phone is fully charged before you go out. How can you call an Uber, or a , or even call for help if your phone is dead? Along similar lines, definitely plan for a safe way home from wherever Halloweekend may take you so you don鈥檛 end up stranded and alone. 听
Second, stay with a friend. Look after each other and travel together or within a group.
Finally, don鈥檛 ever let someone coerce you into doing something you don鈥檛 want to do, whether that鈥檚 drinking, hooking up or even just going out to a party. It鈥檚 always important to notice coercion and peer pressure, and to only partake in activities that you are excited about.
This is supposed to be a fun week and weekend, and following these harm reduction strategies will definitely help with that!
Halloweekend will be fun regardless of how you spend it, whether that鈥檚 indoors or outdoors, rain or shine, but I hope this article has given you some tips on how to keep your Halloween fun from turning frightful. If you want to learn more about alcohol safety and harm reduction strategies, check out the to register for workshops and acquire some more knowledge, before or after your Halloween celebrations. Finally, if you see any suspicious behavior on Halloween weekend, you can call the Department of Public Safety (DPS) at 315.443.2224 to report it.听
Happy Halloween, everyone!! Make sure you鈥檙e spooky, scary, sexy and, most importantly, safe.听
Written By Wynter Chaverst 鈥23, College of Arts and Sciences, Be Wise Peer Educator