Take it easy at end-of-term celebrations
A group tasked with reducing alcohol-related harm in Warwickshire is encouraging the county’s young people to go easy on their drinking now exams and term time are coming to an end.
Drinking is often a significant part of young people’s end-of-term celebrations, as they spend their time pouring pints after spending months poring over textbooks.
But university and college students returning home for the summer and those who have just finished school are being reminded to keep their heads and be sensible with their drinking as they celebrate.
The multi-agency group, which includes Warwickshire County Council, Warwickshire PCT (Primary Care Trust), local service providers, Warwickshire Police, Warwickshire Probation Service and the District and Borough Councils, has recently produced a new Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for Warwickshire.
Kit Leck, Manager of Warwickshire County Council’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team said: “Your school and student days are a fantastic time to enjoy yourself. But alcohol can be very destructive when people binge drink or regularly drink to excess. Bad habits can impact on health later in life.
“Significant numbers of adults and, more worryingly, young people, report that they drink more that the government’s safe drinking limits of 3 to 4 units a day for men and 2 to 3 units for women.”
Warwickshire PCT said: "Over drinking is common at this time of year amongst students after all their hard work, but excess and binge drinking can have many negative effects and impact on health later in life.
"It is difficult, but try not to drink too much – the governments safe drinking limits are 3 to 4 units for men and 2 to 3 units for women a day. Remember, a standard glass of wine is 2 units, and a pint of standard lager is 2.3 units.
"We would advise young people to enjoy themselves, but be safe and drink in moderation.”
Before the county’s Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy was published, Warwickshire’s Alcohol Task Group carried out a review of young people and their services to find out the nature and extent of their alcohol-related needs.
A priority area highlighted by the new strategy is the need to improve alcohol education and support for 16 to 21 year olds in Further and Higher Education by working in partnership with Colleges and Universities, ensuring that information and advice about alcohol is routinely made available to students.
William Brown, Warwickshire County Council’s Strategic Director for Community Protection, said: “The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy will make sure that communities and partnership agencies have a combined focus on reducing the harm caused by alcohol, making Warwickshire an even safer place to live, work and visit.”
Here are some tips for safer end-of-term drinking:
• Eat prior to drinking: food soaks up alcohol, slowing it down on its way into the bloodstream. It will give additional energy and reduce the effects the next day.
• Drink lighter beers: stronger continental beers are fashionable, but make for a messy night and a bigger hangover. The variation between a pint of 5% lager and a 3.5/4% one is one unit.
• Lay down a drinks budget: plan what to drink in an evening and stick to it.
• Have a tactical soft drink: this keeps the body hydrated and will reduce the effects the next day.
• Steer clear of drinking in rounds: this can frequently mean drinking at a quicker speed set by another one of the group.
• Make use of more mixers: diluting a drink with an additional mixer will make it last longer and decrease the effects.
• Plan your way home, particularly if you are female! Don’t leave reaching home to chance – make plans for how you are going to get home before you go out. Make sure you don’t get left to walk home unaccompanied.
• Don’t drink and drive: Again, plan how you’re going to get home before you leave. Make sure you’ve got numbers for taxis and keep aside enough money to get home safely.