Party Smart

Responsible partying is

not a contradiction in

terms. Whether we’re

celebrating the end of

finals or a Penn State

victory, be a good

neighbor and stay safe

by following the easy

tips in this Party Smart

guide.

Changes to the Noise Ordinance Increase Fines Anyone who has been

to a party with their

friends on a Friday or

Saturday night knows

how fun it can be. But

they also know about

some of the downsides

of the party scene: the

noise, the police and the

dangers of excessive

drinking.

State College Borough

has instituted a number

of policies, including a

noise ordinance

amendment, to lessen

the impact of these

negative consequences

for the community as a

whole.

In this guide

Top 10 Ways to Party Smart P.1

Other Important Ordinances P.2

The SIP Strategy P.3

Under the Influence P.4

When to Call 911 P.5

Noise Ordinance Amendments P.6

Your Guide to Having Fun the

Safe Way PARTYSmart The

Source

Investigation

Project

Invite a manageable number of guests. Everyone should fit in

the space that you have – not in the driveway or the neighbor’s yard.

Tell your neighbors you are having a

party and encourage them to contact you FIRST if there is a problem. Be sure to leave your name and number so they can call you.

Know your guests. Turn away those who you do

not know and those who are already intoxicated. You are legally responsible for the actions of everyone at the party.

Keep the noise down! If your party is too loud, police are

more likely to show up. Keep windows closed and periodically walk around the outside of your apartment/house to check the noise level.

Provide non-alcoholic drinks and food for your party guests

so things don’t get too out of hand.

Be sure to designate a sober party host to

keep tabs on noise, the number of guests, and other potential problems.

Work with law officers. If you should get a

knock on your door from the police, being cooperative can make all the difference.

Have an adequate number of trash receptacles and recycling

containers available during the event. Clean up any trash as soon as your party is over to avoid a fine. Remember to thank your neighbors for their cooperation!

Be familiar with your lease; often times a landlord will

prohibit kegs, outdoor parties or have a limit on the number people allowed in the residence.

1.

2.

3.

4.

6.

7.

9.

8. 21.

NEVER serve alcohol to

persons under the age of Have someone check IDs at the door to be sure.

5.

Top 10 Ways to Party Smart

10.

Funded by a grant through the Pennsy lvania L iquor Contro l Board .

S ta te Col lege Pol ice Depar tment Source Inves t iga t ion Pro jec t :

Public Urination and Defecation Urination or defecation in any place other than a place which is enclosed from the public and is specifically designed for sanitary disposal of human waste is prohibited. Fines can be up to $600 plus court costs, making this a very expensive and embarrassing bathroom break!!!

Open Burn Camp fires and bonfires are prohibited. Burning outdoors is permitted for recreational purposes but ONLY when using an approved container (such as grills). Cord wood, 3 hour logs and charcoal are the only acceptable materials. Fires must be contained within the diameter of the container. Fines can be as large as $600.

Open Container Carrying any liquor, malt or brewed alcoholic beverages in an open container on public property (sidewalks, alleys and roadways, for example) is prohibited in the Borough. Remember: Don’t drop a container if an officer approaches because that is an additional violation under state law called “scattering rubbish.” An open container violation carries a fine of up to $600 plus court costs and a scattering rubbish violation has a fine of up to $300 plus court costs.

Refuse Violations In an attempt to decrease the number of refuse violations and the amount of litter on Borough streets, yards and sidewalks, Borough Council adopted an amendment to Borough codes this February increasing the fine from $50 to $100 per offense. These violations generally relate to the improper disposal of refuse or recyclables, including party materials—cans, cups, bottles, etc., which should be cleaned up immediately after a party.

We asked the State College

Police Department, “What are

the top 6 reasons cops stop?”

1. Loud music and noise

2. Public urination

3. Carrying open containers of alcoholic beverages

4. Throwing items, scattering rubbish or littering

5. Public drunkenness

6. Damage to property or criminal mischief

Don’t Become a Nuisance

Top 5 Things Penn State Students Do to Reduce Risks When Drinking

1. Intentionally eat food or a meal before drinking

2. Keep track of how many drinks they've had

3. Set a personal limit of how many drinks they’ll have per occasion

4. Alternate between water (or other non-alcoholic drinks) and alcohol

5. Pace their drinking to no more than one standard drink per hour

2

Cited with Underage Drinking?

The Youthful Offenders Program is an alcohol and drug education program for persons cited for underage drinking in Centre County.

The program offers offenders an alternative to the standard fine and the permanent police record carried by underage drinking.

Developed by Community Help Centre and approved by local District Judges

Operated in coordination with the State College Police Department

The program is designed to increase self-awareness, monitoring skills as they relate to alcohol and substance use and abuse, and increase awareness of the communal impact of dangerous drinking

How does it work?

Requests for enrollment must be made before a plea is entered.

Enrollment must be approved by the presiding district justice.

For more information, go to communityhelpcentre.com or

call 814-234-8222

SIP Aggressive Alcohol Enforcement Need a Ride?

Buzzed driving is drunk

driving; play it safe —

designate a sober driver

or call a cab.

AA Taxis Inc.

814-231-8294

Taxi by Handy Delivery

814-355-5555

Nittany Taxi

814-867-4646

Happy Valley RIDE

814-237-7433

Golden Taxi LLC

814-355-2200

Did You Know?

Student Disciplinary

Records are part of a

student's formal

educational record and

are centrally maintained

in the Office of Student

Conduct at the

University Park Campus

of the Pennsylvania

State University.

Student Disciplinary

Records are kept on file

in the Office of Student

Conduct for seven years

after the graduation date

of the student.

For more information

visit the website:

studentaffairs.psu.edu/

Know the Code

Want to make sure that you know the

code? Familiarize yourself with the

Pennsylvania State University

Student Code of Conduct, by taking

the “Know the Code” quiz. Students

who take the quiz will be rewarded for

their participation. They will have the

opportunity to enter a raffle to receive

prizes throughout the academic year.

You will be notified via email if you

are a winner.

Take the quiz online at

http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/conduct/knowthecode/

3

What is SIP? The Source Investigation Project is creating a system by which alcohol source cases can be investigated more often and in greater depth. Thereby, meeting its main goal of holding accountable the persons or organizations that furnish alcohol to minors and others, creating a safer community and reducing alcohol fueled incidents such as:

SIP cases help to remove large quantities of alcoholic beverages from the hands of minors.

Underage drinking Alcohol overdoses Public drunkenness Driving under the

influence

Sexual assaults Physical assaults Serious injuries or

death

The Successfulness of SIP Investigations

In one SIP case, State College Police kept 35 bottles of hard liquor and 8 thirty-packs of beer from reaching the hands of the minors it was intended for. This case is an example of just one case out of hundreds handled by SIP investigators in the State College area.

Take the Lead...

Against BINGE DRINKING by following these safer drinking strategies:

If drinking at a bar, bring just enough money to pay for the drinks you plan to consume.

Set a limit for the night. Keep your bottle caps or transfer coins from one pocket to the other to track the number of drinks you consume.

Keep your stomach full. Most Penn State students intentionally eat food before drinking.

Make your own drinks and use less alcohol when mixing.

Alternate between alcohol and water (or another alcohol-free drink).

Keep it to one drink per hour. The liver can only breakdown alcohol at a rate of one drink per hour. This is true for everyone. When you consume more than one drink per hour, you risk damaging your liver.

Avoid drinking games, shots, and playing “catch up.” All of these activities make it easier to drink more than you planned.

Never mix alcohol with drugs, including prescriptions

Never drink when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired (HALT), as drinking will exacerbate these emotions.

Recognize your personal signs that you’ve had enough to drink

Sex Under the Influence Good to go: You are both thinking clearly Alcohol isn’t clouding your judgment Both of you are clearly communicating about consent You are prepared to practice safer sex

Need to Stop: You have never met the person sober before S/he is reluctant or sends mixed messages S/he is visibly drunk or you are not sure how much the person

has had to drink S/he is on the verge of passing out

Playing it Safe: Mix your own drinks Don’t leave the drink unattended Pay attention to gut feelings or discomfort around someone Be clear about your intentions with another person Communicate assertively if another person is being disrespectful Don’t hesitate to leave an uncomfortable or dangerous situation

Text Source: Sex Under the Influence, Center for Women Students and University Health Services

. 4 Text Sources: University Health Services BAC Guide and the Youthful Offenders Program Image Source: Eastern Illinois University “Don’t be that Guy/Girl” Campaign

SAVEdmonton.com

Confusion

Vomiting

Seizures

Slow breathing (less than 8 breaths a minute)

Irregular breathing (a gap of more than 10 seconds between breaths

Blue-tinged skin or pale skin

Low body temperature

Unconscious, and can’t be roused

Alcohol Poisoning is a Medical Emergency

You may have heard that regular light-to-moderate drinking can be good for the heart. With heavy or at-risk drinking, however, any potential benefits are outweighed by greater risks, including alcohol poisoning and:

Injuries: Drinking too much increases your chances of being injured or even killed. For example, alcohol is a factor in:

Approximately 60% of fatal burn injuries, drownings, and homicides;

50% of severe trauma injuries and sexual assaults; and

40% of fatal motor vehicle crashes, suicides, and fatal falls.

Health problems: Heavy drinkers have a greater risk of liver disease, heart disease, sleep disorders, depression, stroke, bleeding from the stomach, sexually transmitted infections from unsafe sex and several types of cancer. Heavy drinkers may have problems managing diabetes, high blood pressure and other conditions.

Birth defects: Drinking during pregnancy can cause brain damage and other serious problems for the baby. Because it is not yet known whether any amount of alcohol is safe for a developing baby, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should

not consume alcohol.

Alcohol use disorders: Generally known as alcoholism and alcohol abuse, alcohol use disorders are medical conditions that doctors can diagnose when a patient's drinking causes distress or harm. In the United States, about 18 million people have an alcohol use disorder.

Worried that your drinking may be harming your health? Go to alcoholscreening.org to get personalized results.

Binge Drinking: What are other Risks?

What to Do When You Call 911 When you call for help, remain calm. Speak slowly and clearly. Stay on the line until you're told to hang up. Be sure to provide the

following information:

Your name, address, and phone number

The exact location of the person needing help

The nature of the problem

STAY WITH THE INTOXICATED PERSON;

Remain calm so that the intoxicated person will remain calm;

If you have been drinking, get a sober person to help;

Keep the intoxicated person on their side and in the recovery position and DO NOT try to make them throw up.

How You Can Help while waiting for EMS

Sobering Statistics In 2011, Centre LifeLink responded to 2,426

total calls in the State College Borough: 18% of these calls were alcohol-related.

85% of patients were ages 19 to 22 years old.

5

What Do B.A.C. Effects Mean for You & Your Friends?

One drink will affect you differently depending upon your weight and sex. Refer to the BAC Guide provided by University Health Services for more information on the connection between drink

equivalents and Blood Alcohol Content (BAC).

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning— Even if you don’t see the classic signs and symptoms—Seek immediate medical care. Look for the following symptoms:

B.A.C. Effects on the Drinker

.02 ‐ .04 Lightheaded, loss of shyness, slight euphoria

.05 ‐ .07 Buzzed, euphoria, minor impairment or

.08 ‐ .10 Legal impairment, impairment of judgment,

reac on me, DUI

.11 ‐ .15 Percep on impairment, loss of gross motor

.16 ‐ .18 Dizzy, blurred vision

.20 ‐ .24 Dazed, confused, no percep on of me,

unable to walk unassisted

.25 ‐ .30 Stupor, all func ons severely impaired,

accidents, pass out

.30 + Coma, acute alcohol poisoning, death

Important Phone Numbers

Off-Campus

State College Police 814-234-7150

Police Non-Emergency 1-800-479-0050

Mount Nittany Medical Center 814-231-7000

Centre LifeLINK EMS

814-237-8163

MidPenn Legal Services 814-238-4958

Centre County Women’s Resource Center

814-234-5050

On-Campus

Penn State Police 814-863-1111

Walking Service 814-865-WALK (9255)

Counseling and Psychological Services

814-863-0395

Office of Student Conduct 814-863-0342

Student Legal Services 814-867-4388

243 South Allen Street State College, PA 16801

814-234-7110 phone www.statecollegepa.us

Source Investigation

Project

State Col lege Pol ice Department

6

Noise Ordinance Frequently Asked Questions What is the purpose of the noise control ordinance?

This ordinance aims to ensure that public health, safety and welfare shall not be negatively impacted by excessive or offensive noises in the Borough of State College.

How is the ordinance enforced?

The ordinance is enforced by police officers through the issuance of citations for violations.

When will the ordinance be enforced?

The ordinance can be enforced 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. If the noise is considered unreasonable, a citation may be issued at any time. The ordinance can be enforced when officers receive complaints for unreasonable noise or when officers encounter unreasonable noise.

What will officers take into consideration when assessing a possible violation?

The officer will consider several things when making a decision to issue a citation and some of those things include, but are not limited to, the intensity of the noise, time of day, day of week, duration of noise, whether the sound is temporary and if the location has received prior warnings or complaints.

Who receives the citation?

A citation is issued for a noise ordinance violation to the person or persons who create the noise or allow any unreasonable noise to be created.

Don’t I get a Warning?

Officers ARE NOT required to provide you with a warning that your music or noise is too loud. Warnings may be issued at times but they are not a given right by law.

How much is the fine?

Fines are set by the Magisterial District Judge and follow the following scale for violations occurring in a 180-day period. The total cost of a citation will also have court costs of about $100 added to them.

A Partnership between the State College Police Department,

the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board,

and Community Help Centre’s Youthful Offenders Program

First Violation: $250 to $1,000

Second Violation: $500 to $1,000

Third Violation: $1,000

Don’t want your party to get out of hand? Keep private parties private: Refrain from

posting your address on social media sites to keep your guest list a manageable size.

Funded by a grant through the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.