Drinking less alcohol or even cutting it out completely can boost your energy, help you lose weight and save you money. There are many easy ways to cut down such as doing other things with your friends that don’t involve alcohol, but if you are going to drink, you should read this article.
How is your relationship with alcohol? Do you drink? How much? How often? Why? Do you know what to do if you or someone you know has been spiked?
At the beginning of April I launched the Alcohol Awareness campaign to answer these questions and spread more information around drinking responsibly and safely.
Did you know
Drinking less alcohol or even cutting it out completely can boost your energy, help you lose weight and save you money? There are many easy ways to cut down such as doing other things with your friends that don’t involve alcohol, but if you are going to drink then consider choosing drinks with a lower alcohol percentage or setting a budget when you go out. You don’t have to be drunk to have fun if you’re with the right people!
What about spiking?
The Venue and Lounge are proud to say we’ve never had a report of spiking, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen anywhere else! Spiking isn’t just drugging someone; it can also be giving them alcohol without their knowledge – an example can be something seemingly as innocent as buying a friend a double when they asked for a single without telling them. This is spiking and is just as serious. If you or someone else might have been spiked, call 999. In The Venue or Lounge, find Security or a member of staff and if you still have the drink, bring it with you! We have spiking test kits behind the bar, all you need to do is ask!
On the 9th of April, if you were passing through the SU foyer you might have seen our stall. There were information posters, a poll (with participation prizes!) and a fun challenge for you to try. The challenge was simple: wearing goggles to simulate being drunk, walk along a line on the floor then stack and unstack a set of 10 cups as fast as possible. You think it’s easy? Tell that to those that tried! Check out the reel on our Instagram to see your VPEW HW, Harry, attempt it, it’s harder than you think. There was another option for this challenge though. Some students who were planning to attend the OMB event later signed a consent form while sober and were filmed completing both tasks with no goggles or alcohol. Then that evening, after having drunk alcohol, they came back to redo the tasks so we could compare the difference alcohol made on their inhibitors and coordination. The result, while hilarious, was exactly as expected – the alcohol just made things harder! So even if you think you’re fine while drinking, just remember that alcohol will lower your coordination and inhibitions. Please watch out for your friends and stay safe when getting home – take the SHHH bus or walk in a group and preferably don’t get into a taxi alone!
The Poll
As I mentioned, we also had a poll on the Wednesday which we invited everyone to participate in. The question we asked was “What makes you drink?” with 94 votes total cast against the following possible answers:
- I don’t know my limit: 31 votes
- Club/Society Committee pressure: 25 votes
- For the numbing feeling: 6 votes
- I don’t drink: 14 votes
- Other reason: 18 anonymous comments including;
“I sometimes drink because everyone else around me does and it makes me feel less of an adult when I don’t.”
“To be in a good mood, celebrate something achieved, special occasion.”
“My friends’ mood.”
“Only drink on special occasions. Don’t need to drink to have a good time.”
“Having fun.”
The ‘Fish’ Social
On the same night as the OMB, before arriving to the event, Netball, Rugby, and Men’s FC took part in the campaign by holding ‘Watch Out for the Fish in Your Drink’ themed socials. The idea was a game inspired by the Swedish Fish TikTok trend in which designated “spikers” were given the task of secretly dropping sweets into the drinks of others on the social to simulate spiking. Everyone was encouraged to report anything suspicious like seeing someone dropping a sweet into a drink or finding a sweet in their own drink. The clubs then reported back to us with the following total results from all three:
- 31 students were “spiked” with a sweet
- Only 1 was aware of being spiked
- 24 were unaware of the spiking
- And 6 students questioned or reported the behaviour
Quite a scary ratio of those aware vs unaware, please be careful when you’re out! Keep an eye on yours and your friends’ drinks!
‘0% Taster Night’
Our last event for the campaign was a ‘0% Taster Night’ held in The Lounge on the 22nd April. We invited everyone to join in a mocktail masterclass and taste test all the 0% alcohol options on offer in a chill, relaxing environment. The evening was a lot of fun with everyone having the option to make three different non-alcoholic mocktails and then taste them for free! Students who drink reported no difference in taste between the alcoholic vs the non-alcoholic versions so the next time you’re out, why not ask for a Corona Zero Sunrise or a Chai Tai instead of a Mai Tai!
Overall, with such a wide range of activities and information gathering, the campaign was a success and I hope those who took part found it interesting and fun! The information is all still available on our Instagram and the QR codes below will take you to some useful websites. Please stay safe and continue to have fun!
Wren Sell
Vice President Achievement and Belonging
References