Jim Pope, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity's national foundation, spoke about the dangers of alcohol abuse to about 60 students in 105 Dartmouth Hall Saturday night.
"The lecture was about how to enjoy Greek life without becoming an alcoholic," Pope said. "Fraternities and sororities are about people."
Nearly 70 percent of the American population from age 12 to 100 use or abuse alcohol, and for college freshmen, one in 18 first-time users will eventually develop a serious problem, Pope said.
He said the number of alcoholics has increased in the past 20 years. While there were 5.5 million self-professed alcoholics in 1972, he said by 1994 the number had jumped to 17.5 million.
"When you drink to feel normal, you are an alcoholic," he said.
Pope said women often have greater problems with alcohol than men because their smaller size decreases their tolerance level.
"One of the biggest problems in the fraternity and sorority world is that more young women are having problems with alcohol," he said.
Pope cited statistics about the physiological dangers of alcohol abuse.
He said a six-pack of beer can kill up to 5,000 brain cells. A person is normally born with 10 billion brain cells.
"If you drink long enough, you are susceptible to strokes, and it can also make you unable to cope with your mental capacity," Pope said.
Drinking can also damage the liver and pancreas.
"When you drink, the liver creates a protein protection and damages the vascular cells, changing the shape of the liver," Pope said. "The longer you drink, the harder it is for alcohol to filtrate through."
Pope said a 12 ounce can of beer takes two hours to go through a person's system, adding that people who drink 12 beers have alcohol in their systems for 24 hours.
"If you overdo the high, it will lead to a low," he said. "You must regiment your lifestyle so you can work on your normal thought process. What's normal is what's healthy."
Pope's lecture was part of a weekend long leadership conference sponsored by SAE. The event, which was attended primarily by SAE brothers, also served as a make-up session for new Greek members who missed the required lecture about alcohol.
