Monday 26-09-2022 - 09:00

Some people enjoy having a drink or two from time to time. I'm partial to a glass of red wine with my dinner in the evening, especially when it goes so well with the rich tomato ragu tagliatelle I'm having for dinner. Having recently finished my undergraduate degree, I know how easy it is to have that one drink more when you’re surrounded by the student culture. However, if you are frequently drinking too much or binge drinking, this can have serious effects on your health and wellbeing. 

 

It is important that you know your limits and avoid leaving yourself in a vulnerable position. As a student, I have been on this end. I’ve drank far too much, woke up the next morning with a horrific hangover and not being able to remember most of the night. So, with Freshers' season right around the corner, I want to highlight some of the risks of alcohol and how you can drink more safely. 

 

The risk of alcoholism in students 

There are many reasons we choose to have a drink. For most students, moving to university is their first time away from home. You’re free to do what you want without the constraints of parents, guardians, school and so forth dictating your every move. As such, it’s easy to fall into drinking habits.  

 

Alcohol abuse is common at universities under the guise of ‘party culture’. According to the National Union of Students (NUS), 76% of students say there’s an expectation for them to drink to get drunk and 79% agree that drinking and getting drunk is part of university culture.

 

Alcohol is also more readily available at university, which means lots of students build up a tolerance to alcohol, increasing the amount they need to drink before they get drunk. Increased tolerance could become a gateway for alcohol abuse.

Worryingly, 60% of students say it is hard not to drink too much, while 38% say it helps them to relax when socialising. Elsewhere, students who engage in binge drinking will see their academic performance declining, increased potential for trouble with the law, increased risk of putting themselves in endangered or precarious situations, possibly leading to a dependency on alcohol.

 

How can I drink safely?

Current guidelines recommend that adults should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. This should be spaced out appropriately.  It is not good to save up all your units to then have a binge drink. Drinking too much in a short space of time increases your risk of becoming ill or sustaining an injury. 

The below diagram from Bupa helps assess how many units of alcohol each type of  drink contains and will help inform how much you can drink. 

[Alt text: Bottle of beer 330ml, 5% alcohol volume is 1.6 units. Pint of beer, 4.2% alcohol volume is 2.4 units. Alcopop 275ml, 4% alcohol volume is 1.1 units. Single spirit 25ml, 40% alcohol volume is 1 unit. Standard glass of wine 175ml, 12.5% alcohol volume is 2.2 units. Pint of cider, 4.5% alcohol volume is 2.6 units.]

 

If you are planning to have a couple of drinks with your friends, here are some useful tips that can help you to drink sensibly:

 

• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink in one sitting 
• Drink slowly, alternating your alcoholic drinks with water
• Have something to eat while/before drinking alcohol
• Drink in a safe environment with people around you that you trust
• Plan how you will get home safely
• Stick to drinking the same drink as mixing can make you feel more intoxicated and unwell
• Go for a spritzer or a shandy as this can help to dilute the amount of alcohol in your drink

 

It is also a good idea to have some alcohol-free days in your week to help you keep within the units that are suggested. 

 

Limiting your drinking habits doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and university is not all about drinking.  You can make friends at uni and still have a fun and exciting night without booze. Look out in the SU Bar for our mocktail menu. Elsewhere, you could try our SU societies, where you can get together for events, chats together or to play something.

 

Some students' drinking habits have changed in recent years and there is a section within the student population who do not drink at all. Lots of students are now making active decisions regarding their drinking habits and how they can reduce their alcohol consumption. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with having a drink from time to time.  But if you are going to have a drink this Freshers’ week, please stay safe and take care of yourself.  

 

This article was contributed by Education President Ben Broadhurst.