By Olyver LaGabed, Staff Writer
Spooky scares, sickly sweets, tricks and treats–those are the hallmarks of Halloween. The holiday offers fun, but also danger for unwary participants.
As it turns out, the risk factor on Halloween night doesn’t stop at being nine years old and finding mythical razor blades in candy. The truth is, college students face more safety risks at Halloween parties than children do. From drunk driving to roofies, Halloween can be dangerous. More importantly, for a group of people in academia, college students can be pretty stupid during a good party.
College parties can be lots of fun. There are friends, food, drinks (if you’re of age), and there should always be safety. But unfortunately, that’s not always the case. With students going to costume parties and other events, student safety on All Hallow’s Eve is an important topic. But not to worry – there are, in fact, ways to enjoy Halloween without putting yourself in danger. In fact, many students on Pellissippi State Community College’s campus are holding Halloween parties, and many of them are thinking ahead about safety.
“I’ve heard of frats having a bunch of drugs at parties and women getting in not great situations,” said Autumn, a Pellissippi State student who said she is worried about people attending parties alone. “So, I think it’s always good to go in groups, and not separate from those groups, because that’s when bad stuff goes down.”
Given the recent Cornell Seven controversy, during which a young woman alleges she experienced nonconsensual sexual assault by a group of fraternity members, these types of concerns are top of mind for many young women.
Autumn brings up the excellent point of staying in trusted groups when attending parties. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 70% of crimes are committed by strangers. When students make the choice to attend events in groups of people that they trust, they lower their odds of a crime taking place by a considerable amount.
This is especially important to consider when attending parties – not just for yourself, but for the other partygoers. When you attend parties on Halloween, keep an eye out for stragglers, have the backs of the people around you, and ultimately do your best to keep each other from becoming targets because they are alone. Stick with your friends, be wary of strangers, and always keep an eye on your drink.
It’s important to stay wary of spiked drinks. An article by the American Psychological Association surveyed around 6,000 college students and found over 500 incidents of spiked drinks. If you set down your drink, either throw it away or ensure you leave it with a trusted friend. If you find yourself feeling drunker than you should after a drink or two, tell a friend; you may have been roofied. Watch your friends’ drinks as well, and make sure they’re getting home safely, especially if they’re drunk.
So-called roofie strips can be purchased online. Some only detect Rohypnol, but other test strips can detect other drugs including GHB (ecstasy), ketamine, and scopolamine. These tools range in price, starting around $10 per test. Drink covers are an alternative method for keeping one’s drinks safe. For example, the popular NightCap reusable drink cover costs around $15.
When asked how Autumn was planning on keeping her own get-together safe this Halloween, she brought up a second, equally important point about drinking at parties.
“We’re making sure everyone has a place to sleep, a designated driver, or an Uber/Lyft because we don’t drink and drive in this household,” she said.
Although drunk driving is an issue year-round, the rates for fatal car accidents caused by drunk drivers do increase around holidays like Halloween. There’s a multitude of reasons why this happens, but ultimately, it often comes down to a lack of planning. All too often, college students will make the choice to drink without thinking about how they’re getting home afterwards.
Through Autumn’s efforts to make sure each guest has a plan before exiting her apartment, she is doing her part to keep herself and her friends safe. You can do the same by making sure that if you’re attending a party and plan to drink that you have a safe way to get home. If you are hosting your own Halloween party this year, it would be wise to do the same, just to be on the safe side of things. If you can, look out for your friends or other drunk people who may try to drive home on their own; you may just save someone’s life.
Ultimately, that’s the goal: staying on the safe side of things. Sure, Halloween’s a good time for a scare, but there is no event so monumental, nor college student so invincible, that safety should be disregarded. A drink or two never hurt anyone, but a lack of awareness and planning has and will continue to hurt people.
So this year, between flashy Halloween costumes and good times, try not to harm yourself or others. Have fun, enjoy your scares, but keep an eye out for one another and don’t drink and drive.
Disclaimer: If you are experiencing a personal crisis, emotional distress, or feel you may need counseling, please reach out to the Pellissippi State Counseling Services at counseling@pstcc.edu or call 865.694.6480 for support. If you are in immediate crisis, please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 to connect with help right away. Additionally, if you are in an unsafe situation, please call the Pellissippi State Campus Police at 865.694.6649, available 24/7. As a reminder, campus police encourage students to add this number to phone contacts in the case of an emergency. You can also text “PSCCTIPS” to 67283 for an Anonymous Safety Tip.
