ÔÇ£For Thomas, the party is over.ÔÇØ
Those were the words of Andr├® Dusausoy, father of a Belgian student who tragically fell to his death after overindulging on a night out.
The death of Thomas Dusausoy has made headlines in my country and opened up a new debate about the ethics of binge drinking. The headlines appeared not because he was some celebrity, but the opposite. By all accounts Thomas was a normal student. Popular, with a large group of friends and a loving family, Thomas seemed to be the archetypical Belgian student. Indeed, it is his relative normality that makes the circumstances of his death seem so jarring.
He did not overdose on heroin or cocaine, he did not succumb to some undiagnosed mental illness or some condition unique to him and him only. He died doing what millions of people his age do.
It could have been me, it could have been you, one of your friends, a member of your family even, anyone you know who has been known to drink heavily on a night out. That is what disturbs me about ThomasÔÇÖ death. It could have been one of us. His death came because of his normality, not in spite of it. As a society we not just condone, but endorse the behaviour that killed Thomas. That scares me.
ThomasÔÇÖ father has led the calls for an end to the drinking culture that is so entrenched in modern universities. In an open letter, Mr Dusausoy denounced the attitude of his sonÔÇÖs generation, and the culture that led to his sonÔÇÖs passing. ÔÇ£This is a warning against alcohol dangers,ÔÇØ he wrote. ÔÇ£The consequences of a drunken night are not a headache or an indigestion. Students must understand there is a real threat to life! When we have a hangover, we feel like heroes! If not, we feel like idiots!ÔÇØ
Unfortunately, for Thomas and others, it is already too late. The message that ThomasÔÇÖ relatives are currently trying to pass on is of vital importance in order to stop this from happening again. It is not a message that should be limited to Belgium or Europe, but one that should be heard worldwide.
As an ERASMUS student I will admit that it takes some time to adapt to a new country, culture and habits. When I first arrived in Cardiff I was astonished at how students here party. Every night without fail, I see dozens of students make their raucous way to CardiffÔÇÖs clubs and bars, where they will indulge in the same kind of behaviour that killed Thomas. I believe that the problem is made worse by how central everything is in Cardiff. Knowing that home is just a few blurred minutes away reinforces the desire to drink with impunity.
Students all over the world need to be more conscious about the risks associated with binge drinking. Prevention is always better than the cure. People our age should be able to have fun, IÔÇÖm not denying that, but must it come with such a heavy price? In Belgium, students are rewarded for their ability to consume alcohol, with some faculties handing out prizes to the heaviest drinkers. Is that right? How did we get to the stage where a keg of beer is the guest of honour at house parties? An irreparably damaged liver and should not be a status symbol, nor should alcoholic amnesia be a badge of honour.
That is why I thought it was important to tell you the story of Thomas, so that we do not forget that recollections of nights out should first and foremost consist of happy memories rather than no memories at all! This period of our lives will not last long, so make the most of it. But always remember that it can be cut short in an instant.
Manon Jacob 
Twitter: @Jacob_Manon
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