Don’t get the wrong result
Thursday 19 August will be a momentous day for hundreds of sixth formers who will pick up their A-level results so local services are urging students to celebrate safely.
Many Year 13 students can legally drink in pubs, bars and clubs, and many more will be celebrating at home with friends. With this in mind the county council is offering advice to ensure the party mood stays positive.
Warwickshire DAAT (Drug and Alcohol Action Team DAAT) and the county’s Respect Yourself Campaign support the ‘Know Your Limits’ campaign to reduce binge and underage drinking, along with the anti-social behaviour often associated with it.
Aiming to make the county’s towns safe for everyone to enjoy a night out, including students themselves, the two teams have issued some advice for sensible and safe celebrations.
Eat before you go out or buy some food on the way.
Have a safe upper limit for how much you are going to drink and stick to it.
Alternate your alcoholic drinks with water or a soft drink to help pace yourself.
Avoid drinking in rounds or getting involved in drinking games.
Don’t make it easy for your drink to be spiked by leaving it unattended and never accept a drink from a stranger.
Never mix drugs and alcohol; this is potentially lethal.
Plan in advance how you will get home after going out, keep some money aside for transport and have your phone on and fully charged to stay in contact with your mates.
DAAT Manager Kit Leck said: “A-Level results signify the end of an era and the start of an exciting new time a young person’s life. We understand that students work very hard to achieve their grades and want to go out and have a good time in recognition of this.
“Our advice is go out, have a drink and enjoy yourself, but just be sensible about it. We don’t want to stop the fun; we just want to make them aware of the implications of irresponsible drinking and by doing so help them to stay in control.”
Respect Yourself Manager Amy Danahay is responsible for promoting sexual health messages to Warwickshire teenagers. She added: “We want to take this opportunity to raise awareness of the many consequences of binge drinking.
“In addition to dangers it poses to health, the impaired judgment associated with drinking too much can result in people becoming more likely to engage in anti-social behaviour or unsafe sex. We hope young people will take this advice on board and think before they drink on Thursday.”
The county council website http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/studentsafety features more about as well as general safety tips for students to help them avoid becoming a victim of crime.