Authorities Warn Against Mixing Alcohol and Freezing Temperature
A 21-year-old Iowa State University student was found unresponsive in freezing temperatures last month according to the Ames Tribune. Reporting indicates that the college student “died of hypothermia and acute alcohol intoxication.” The young woman was found the morning of January 22 in the Delta Delta Delta sorority house parking lot.
The Tribune indicates that she was found unconscious and was later pronounced dead. It is believed that she was exposed to temperatures under 10 degrees for several hours before being discovered. Police do not suspect foul play. It is suspected that alcohol intoxication was partly to blame.
The young woman was a junior studying communication at Iowa State University. She was a member of the Tri Delta sorority. Law enforcement and school officials are warning students about the dangers of mixing alcohol and cold weather. Freezing temperatures can quickly turn deadly when there is prolonged exposure. The Tribune notes that alcohol can give people a false sense of warmth.
Deaths like these are often preventable, but preventing them is easier said than done. Alcohol on colleges and universities is prevalent. Schools across the country have focused campaigns on the dangers of excessive drinking. More schools are providing resources for staying safe particularly during the colder months.
Read the full Ames Tribune article, “ISU student death a ‘tragic accident,’ policy say, calling for extra caution when alcohol and cold weather mix.”