Drunk Means No Consent by blogger Ashley from Bradley University

Going away to college is a big change for young adults. We are constantly surrounded by our peers now, and many of us are greatly influenced by them. Drinking is a big social activity on campuses, and many (if not most) students participate in drinking activities. Girls and guys go to parties, drink a little, meet up with one another, and sometimes hit it off. Many times we hear of girls and guys waking up next to someone they don’t know, and they have no recollection of what happened the previous night. Girls tend to be more vulnerable in these situations. We have a little too much to drink, meet some “great” guy, and go back to their place. At that moment, we think that is what we want, to go further, or we are too out of it to really say “no”. The thing that many college students don’t necessarily know before entering school is that you cannot honestly consent to sex when drunk since your mental process is clouded. For this reason, so many girls are devastated when they find out that they have slept with these guys. Many guys will argue that the girl did not say “no” or stop them, but if she was drunk, do you really think she was in her right mind? I know a lot of people are excited after having a one-night-stand with an attractive person, but there are many people who are not so excited for reasons like this. So guys and gals, protect yourselves and know your rights and the law. If the person is drunk (especially when you know that you are not), it’s safe to just abstain from sex for the night and not have a possible sexual assault/rape case at hand.