As Halloween quickly approaches, people of all ages are preparing to celebrate the holiday on Friday, October 31^st. While the day is best recognized as an opportunity for trick-or-treaters to dress up and gather candy from around their neighborhoods, it is also notoriously known to be a time of partying for high school and college students across the country.

For this reason, it is especially important for all adults to recognize the dangers that are associated with drinking and, more importantly, ways to be safe if one decides to engage in the activity.

Alcohol can be a dangerous influence on the behavior of those who consume it; slurred speech, loss of balance, and slower reaction times are all clear indicators of interference with normal brain activity. Behavior is consequently affected by alterations of the brain.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), which is sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services, estimates that 97,000 college students each year experience sexual assault that is alcohol-related, and nearly 2,000 college students each year die from alcohol-related injuries, including motor-vehicle crashes.

Astounding statistics like these are avoidable with an understanding of how to keep oneself safe when drinking. It is essential to know that different kinds of drinks are not equal as far as alcohol content is concerned, and that, according to NIAAA, one 12-ounce can of beer has the same amount of alcohol as one 5-ounce glass of wine or just 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.

It is also never advisable to drink from the punch bowl at a party, because it is never possible to know for certain how much alcohol is actually in it and it is easier to lose track of how much you’ve had.

Eating before indulging in alcohol will reduce the rate at which the alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream, affecting your blood-alcohol content. This knowledge can allow a person to be more aware of the amount of alcohol he or she is consuming, and to not drink in excess.

According to FastWeb, a website dedicated to providing information to aid college students, awareness is key when drinking. The website suggests never accepting a drink you did not prepare or from someone you do not know, as well as never leaving your drink unattended.

It is never a good idea to attend a party alone. It is safer to have people you know surround you who can act as a safety net for you if you feel uncomfortable in a situation that arises.

It is beneficial to have emergency numbers in your phone of people who you can call if you are desperate in an uncomfortable situation at a party. This is especially important if you have been drinking and need to leave a party, as it is never good to leave a party alone while intoxicated or to drive under the influence.

Ultimately, Halloween is a holiday during which people can adorn costumes and pretend they are someone else for a short while. Fortunately, it is entirely possible to have a lot fun in a safe way, as long as you remain aware of the dangers of drinking and the ways you can keep yourself out of such danger.