Unfortunately, Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day has been dangerous in the past, and its danger will probably continue. People have fallen off of balconies, gotten arrested and had to visit the hospital for alcohol poisoning. But it is unrealistic to say students should not participate in Unofficial. Instead, it is important that students drink responsibly to prevent accidents from happening.

On Unofficial, keep an eye out for alcohol poisoning. It is much better to play it safe than play it sorry if someone at your party may need help. If you are unsure if your friend is ill enough to need an ambulance, you should probably call 911. It only takes one phone call to prevent a tragedy from happening.

The University , Champaign and Urbana police departments have unofficial medical amnesty policies. This means that if you are drinking underage and need medical aid for a friend who has been drinking underage, neither of you will be punished. Even if there was a punishment for underage drinkers calling for help, it is worth getting punished to save a friend’s life.

Last week, the Champaign Community Coalition’s “Walk as One” participants distributed information about being safe on Unofficial. In addition to knowing the signs of alcohol poisoning, the packets had information about creating a drinking plan. It sounds silly to plan how many drinks you will consume per hour, but a drinking plan can ensure you have a good time without overdoing it. Even if you don’t follow the plan exactly, it can at least serve as a small reminder in the back of your mind. Losing track of how much you have consumed is certainly easy.

In addition to the safety issues, be wary that not following the city’s rules for Unofficial can result in costly tickets or an even costlier arrest. Residences are only permitted to have one keg. Many classes will have police officers or Assembly Hall security inspecting bags to make sure students are not bringing alcohol to classes. Bars will only allow people 21-years-old or older to enter, and using a fake ID can get you charged with a felony. Fortunately, students seem to have been doing a better job abiding by these rules; city ordinance violations on Unofficial decreased by 12 percent from 2011 to 2012.

One of the main reasons people party too hard on Unofficial is the hype surrounding the event. People expect Unofficial to be the wildest, most exciting party of their lives. But when this isn’t the case, it’s not too much of a stretch to think that excessive drinking will only increase. There are other college nights out that will be more fun than Unofficial. Even if your Unofficial doesn’t live up to your expectations, do not compensate by drinking excessively.