Brace yourselves for another round of media frenzy over drinking and fraternities. This fraternity was not part of IFC, the victim was a member and not a pledge. This could become Chico state redux.
Phanta "Jack" Phoummarath's body was found Saturday afternoon in the Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity house in Austin. The 18-year-old freshman was one of seven members of the Asian-American fraternity who had celebrated their acceptance to the group at the house the night before, said his sister, Marion Phoummarath.
[...]
Austin police declined to comment further until they receive the final results of the toxicology report. Toni Chovanetz, a police department representative, declined to speculate on possible charges against the fraternity or its members.
Hank Nuwer, a professor at Franklin College in Indiana who has studied fraternity deaths, said groups often are charged with serving underage members alcohol or contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
[...]
Richard Morrisett, an associate professor at the College of Pharmacology, said most people can't metabolize more than three drinks in an hour. That is why binge drinking can be so deadly, he said.
"If there's one message that I would really wish students understand is that there are limits to what your body can withstand," Morrisett said.
In a party situation, there may not be anyone responsible enough to recognize when a young person is drinking to a dangerous level, he said.
The truth of the matter is that this is what happens when you take a 'party til you puke' mindset just one or two steps too far. Tragic.
Chron.com | UT student died of alcohol poisoning
Tag: alcohol
Tag: fraternity
