STUDENTS & ALCOHOL
Students and alcohol go together like love and marriage or . . . a horse and carriage. Or something. Right? Well, alcohol can be great enjoyed in moderation but let’s face it - most students aren’t that into moderation. If you’re the horse and the alcohol is the carriage that’s fine. But if you’re the carriage and the alcohol is the horse that’s pulling you along then that’s not good. Or . . . would the man in the carriage be in charge? Right - so you need to be the man in the carriage that’s holding the reins behind the alcohol horse, got it? OK, good. Here are the risks:
Destruction of property
We’ve all heard the stories – residents in student areas getting thoroughly fed up with students with traffic cones on their heads falling into their gardens, smashing windows or leaving dents in their cars. Nobody expects you to be tee-total, but don’t get so drunk that you stop caring about, or get into trouble for damaging other people’s property (or your own). You’re also more likely to lose your phone, wallet or bag when you’re drunk and that’s pretty annoying.
Injury through Accident
Property isn’t the only thing that can be damaged when you’re drunk. Frequent binge drinkers are eight times more likely than non-binge drinkers to get hurt or injured. The worse case scenario is falling in front of a car or getting into a car with a drunk driver but even needing stitches, a plaster cast or a crutch is going to put a serious damper on your evening. You’re also more likely to get into a fight, and that never ends well. It may not necessarily be you starting it but you may be on the receiving end of injuries and if you're sober you're more equipped to deal with the situation.
Lack of Focus leading to Poor Performance at Uni
Traditionally, uni years are all about partying and having fun. Research shows that the amount students drink decreases with each year they study, however it can be all too easy in the midst of the fun to lose focus on the reason you’re at university in the first place. Don’t let exceeding your alcohol limits be the reason you don’t exceed your study and sport expectations.
Financial Strain
When you’re a student you’re usually pretty skint to start off with. Drinking can be expensive, even with student promotions, and it’s possible to end up spending several hundreds of pounds a year just on alcohol. Decide before you go out how much you’re going to spend and don’t go over it. Leave your card at home so you can’t take out any more cash and don’t be the hero buying rounds for everyone.
Alcohol Dependence
With the stress of studying, being away from home, and preparing for the future it can be easy to use alcohol as a bit of a crutch or a social lubricant to help you loosen up when you’re out. Relaxing with a drink is fine, but don’t let it get to the point where you can’t unwind or have fun without it. That’s straying into dangerous territory.
Putting on Weight
It’s the time when you want to look your best but ironically the student lifestyle can mean that you can end up putting on weight and feeling a bit sluggish. Thanks to a poor diet and increased drinking many students pack on the pounds. With the average pint containing 200 calories and a glass of wine containing 130 (usually followed by a kebab on the way home), it’s no big surprise.
Alcohol Poisoning
This is serious, and all too common. Alcohol poisoning is when you have more alcohol in your system than your body is able to process. People usually pass out and will definitely need medical treatment. Because the nerves controlling involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex are suppressed, there is the danger of choking on vomit, which could cause death by asphyxiation in a person who is unconscious. People with alcohol poisoning can also have seizures or stop breathing. Drinking games and bets or dares are easy ways to drink more alcohol than you normally would, or even than you want to. Common myths about sobering up include drinking black coffee, taking a cold bath or shower, sleeping it off, or walking it off. But these are just myths, and they don't work. The only thing that reverses the effects of alcohol is time - something you may not have if you are suffering from alcohol poisoning.
There’s a good possibility that you’ve read all this and you’re thinking – yeah, good point. It won’t happen to me, though. But this is all a lot more common than people think, and if you’ve made it to uni then you’re smart enough to know that by the law of averages, it will happen to someone reading this . . . and it could be you. So don’t let it be you that’s out of order.
Out of Order’s Top 5 Tips:
Don’t accept drinks from someone you don’t know. If you do you’ll know about as much about what’s in that drink as you do about the person who gave it to you.
Don’t leave your drinks unattended.
Don’t drink if you’re pregnant, under the legal drinking age, driving or operating machinery, or if you simply cannot control your drinking.
Pace yourself. Sip slowly. Have no more than one drink with alcohol per hour. Alternate “drink spacers” – non-alcoholic drinks such as water, soft drinks or juice – with drinks containing alcohol.
Eat something. Eating before or while drinking slows down alcohol absorption.
Information sources include:
www.drinkaware.co.uk
www.drinkiq.com
www.drug-alcohol-addiction-recovery.com
rds.homeoffice.gov.uk
Students and alcohol go together like love and marriage or . . . a horse and carriage. Or something. Right? Well, alcohol can be great enjoyed in moderation but let’s face it - most students aren’t that into moderation. If you’re the horse and the alcohol is the carriage that’s fine. But if you’re the carriage and the alcohol is the horse that’s pulling you along then that’s not good. Or . . . would the man in the carriage be in charge? Right - so you need to be the man in the carriage that’s holding the reins behind the alcohol horse, got it? OK, good. Here are the risks:
Destruction of property
We’ve all heard the stories – residents in student areas getting thoroughly fed up with students with traffic cones on their heads falling into their gardens, smashing windows or leaving dents in their cars. Nobody expects you to be tee-total, but don’t get so drunk that you stop caring about, or get into trouble for damaging other people’s property (or your own). You’re also more likely to lose your phone, wallet or bag when you’re drunk and that’s pretty annoying.
Injury through Accident
Property isn’t the only thing that can be damaged when you’re drunk. Frequent binge drinkers are eight times more likely than non-binge drinkers to get hurt or injured. The worse case scenario is falling in front of a car or getting into a car with a drunk driver but even needing stitches, a plaster cast or a crutch is going to put a serious damper on your evening. You’re also more likely to get into a fight, and that never ends well. It may not necessarily be you starting it but you may be on the receiving end of injuries and if you're sober you're more equipped to deal with the situation.
Lack of Focus leading to Poor Performance at Uni
Traditionally, uni years are all about partying and having fun. Research shows that the amount students drink decreases with each year they study, however it can be all too easy in the midst of the fun to lose focus on the reason you’re at university in the first place. Don’t let exceeding your alcohol limits be the reason you don’t exceed your study and sport expectations.
Financial Strain
When you’re a student you’re usually pretty skint to start off with. Drinking can be expensive, even with student promotions, and it’s possible to end up spending several hundreds of pounds a year just on alcohol. Decide before you go out how much you’re going to spend and don’t go over it. Leave your card at home so you can’t take out any more cash and don’t be the hero buying rounds for everyone.
Alcohol Dependence
With the stress of studying, being away from home, and preparing for the future it can be easy to use alcohol as a bit of a crutch or a social lubricant to help you loosen up when you’re out. Relaxing with a drink is fine, but don’t let it get to the point where you can’t unwind or have fun without it. That’s straying into dangerous territory.
Putting on Weight
It’s the time when you want to look your best but ironically the student lifestyle can mean that you can end up putting on weight and feeling a bit sluggish. Thanks to a poor diet and increased drinking many students pack on the pounds. With the average pint containing 200 calories and a glass of wine containing 130 (usually followed by a kebab on the way home), it’s no big surprise.
Alcohol Poisoning
This is serious, and all too common. Alcohol poisoning is when you have more alcohol in your system than your body is able to process. People usually pass out and will definitely need medical treatment. Because the nerves controlling involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex are suppressed, there is the danger of choking on vomit, which could cause death by asphyxiation in a person who is unconscious. People with alcohol poisoning can also have seizures or stop breathing. Drinking games and bets or dares are easy ways to drink more alcohol than you normally would, or even than you want to. Common myths about sobering up include drinking black coffee, taking a cold bath or shower, sleeping it off, or walking it off. But these are just myths, and they don't work. The only thing that reverses the effects of alcohol is time - something you may not have if you are suffering from alcohol poisoning.
There’s a good possibility that you’ve read all this and you’re thinking – yeah, good point. It won’t happen to me, though. But this is all a lot more common than people think, and if you’ve made it to uni then you’re smart enough to know that by the law of averages, it will happen to someone reading this . . . and it could be you. So don’t let it be you that’s out of order.
Out of Order’s Top 5 Tips:
Don’t accept drinks from someone you don’t know. If you do you’ll know about as much about what’s in that drink as you do about the person who gave it to you.
Don’t leave your drinks unattended.
Don’t drink if you’re pregnant, under the legal drinking age, driving or operating machinery, or if you simply cannot control your drinking.
Pace yourself. Sip slowly. Have no more than one drink with alcohol per hour. Alternate “drink spacers” – non-alcoholic drinks such as water, soft drinks or juice – with drinks containing alcohol.
Eat something. Eating before or while drinking slows down alcohol absorption.
Information sources include:
www.drinkaware.co.uk
www.drinkiq.com
www.drug-alcohol-addiction-recovery.com
rds.homeoffice.gov.uk
