Alcohol and you
Tuesday 25 November 2008
With Christmas parties just on the horizon you may be tempted to have a drink. But did you know alcohol can dull your senses? Read our advice on what not to do if you're 18 or over and celebrating with a drink.
Drinking laws
There are many laws around drinking – make sure you are informed. Take a look at our article on how to party safely!
A few new laws have come into effect recently. From now on:-
- police can confiscate alcohol from under 18s
- persistant drinkers under the age of 18 can be charged
- police can charge people who are caught twice in a three month period selling alcohol to anyone under 18
Remember - never give in to peer pressure - friends should never force you to drink, or make you feel bad for not wanting to. You can always opt out.
What is a unit?
You may have heard of ‘units’– this is how alcohol is measured. A glass of wine can contain anything from 1.5 units to more than three, depending on the strength of the wine.
The NHS advises men to drink no more than three to four units a day, whilst females should stick to two to three.
To give you an example of how many units there are in a drink, an alcopop and a single shot are both one unit, whilst spirits like vodka is usually one or over.
Avoid drinking in rounds as you are more likely to over-do it. People drink at different speeds, and if everyone around you is drinking faster and more often, you will too.
Driving
The UK driving limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – around two pints of beer. Drink driving at twice this limit means you are at least 30 times more likely to get in to an accident than a sober person. Drink driving is accounts for around six per cent of all road victims and 17 per cent of deaths on the road.
Even if you are below the legal limit, you still shouldn’t drive. The safest thing to do is leave your car at home or let someone else drive. You don’t want to lose your licence when you have only just got one, or worse still – hurt someone!
Speaking to strangers
Alcohol can make you lose your inhibitions, and you do things you normally wouldn’t when sober. This can include being argumentative, mouthy or aggressive, leading to assault. Around 46 per cent of victims of violent incidents believed that their attacker was under the influence.
Getting home
Never get a lift home with a stranger or an unlicensed cab. Make sure you always have some spare cash to get yourself home in a licensed cab – especially if you’re alone! You can plan this before you start your night out.
Also never walk home alone, if you don’t have any money for a cab, it’s probably better to crash at a friend’s house or call someone to pick you up.
What you should do
Nobody needs alcohol to have fun, but if you you’re planning to have a couple of drinks try to follow these steps:-
Eat - A full stomach slows down alcohol getting into your bloodstream and lines your stomach. But remember, it doesn't stop alcohol getting into your bloodstream completely.
Drink- Drink a pint of water before hitting the sack – it’ll help you feel better the morning after.
Check out Direct Gov – Would You? for some tips whilst out and about.
The Mentor Foundation
Mentor is a charity that works to stop drug misuse and promote the health and well-being of young people. Every year the charity holds the CHAMP Awards and includes a Young People’s Involvement category.
This year the winner was a website called LookOut Alcohol. It's an interactive site that has loads of info, games and downloads for teachers and parents - all created by teenagers.
