Students fire ping pong balls across a long table and into red, shiny, saliva-strewn cups of Southpaw. But when the festive game of Beirut is over and the champs have been named, the victors may leave with more than bragging rights.E
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They could bring the nasty germs of mononucleosis home with them.E
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Sicknesses are on the rise at Duke as students have flocked back to campus for the second semester and are just about ready to finish off rush. One major culprit for the increased rate of colds and viruses is the popular drinking game of Beirut. E
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Health officials at Duke said the nature of Beirut, with balls dropping under couches and students sharing cups, makes it a breeding ground for germs and illnesses such as chicken pox, seasonal viruses and mononucleosis.E
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'When a ball touches the ground and is thrown in a cup of beer, the indeterminate variable is what"s on the ground--i.e. dirt versus feces,' said Jean Hanson, administrative director for Student Health Services. 'Need I say more?'E
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Rhonda Elliott, a nurse at the East Campus Wellness Clinic, said it is a myth that saliva containing alcohol kills germs and said, in reality, saliva is the easiest way to transport germs. She pointed out that only rubbing alcohol or ethanol effectively kills germs.E
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Despite these health facts, in an informal poll of about 25 students, two-thirds of those who had played beer pong before believed the alcohol in beer kills germs. In addition, many students said they believed the plastic Solo cups frequently used in Beirut helped combat germs.
Many students, however, said germs did not affect their desire to pick up a ping pong ball and play.E
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Juniors Cole Jones and John Boardman said germs were not the biggest factor when deciding whether or not to play Beirut. They said the 'nasty water cup,' into which players dunk the ball between shots, turns them off from playing playing Beirut because, in some versions, losers may have to drink it.E
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More generally, Elliott said students should always try to avoid contact between germs and the mouth. Staying out for consecutive nights at crowded rush events and parties also weakens students" immune systems. E
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'Close contact definitely makes students more susceptible to sickness and a haven for the spread of germs,' said Dr. William Purdy, interim medical director of Student Health.'
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