|
Advice for a safe night out
- Eat something before or during drinking. Food makes the body absorb
alcohol more slowly and you're more likely to have the energy
to stay out longer.
- Drink water or soft drinks in between alcoholic drinks to dilute the
alcohol and drink more water before going to bed.
- Don't start too early or you won't last the pace.
- Know how to refuse a drink. You don't have to take one just because it's
offered or take part in rounds you don't want. Similarly, don't pressure
others into drinking.
- Alcohol might make you feel attractive and make you lose your inhibitions
but when you're drunk you are also at your most vulnerable. Don't lose
your friends even if you meet someone new - you might end up in a situation
you regret.
- Watch out for larger measures at home or at a party compared with standard
pub measures.
- Don't get into petty arguments in the pub - being drunk often
makes people more aggressive than usual and arguments can lead to violence.
Don't be a target, drink sensibly and reduce the risk.
- Learn the strengths of your drinks so you can stick to your own limits,
bearing in mind the safe limits are 2/3 units per day for women and 3/4
units per day for men (but not every day).
- Know how you are getting home. Have a reliable taxi number programmed
into your mobile or arrange to get picked up from somewhere central
and safe. Alcohol doesn't warm you up, despite what many people
think, so there is a severe risk of hypothermia if you start a long
walk home and get lost or fall asleep outside.
- Buy food on the way home, don't try and cook when you come home in case
you leave the oven or chip pan on.
- If you come home drunk, don't light a cigarette or if you do make sure
it's extinguished properly before you go to bed.
Drink driving
When socialising at Christmas parties and nights out, it might be tempting
to have a drink or two and think it’s alright to drive home.
People need to be aware that ANY alcohol will alter your judgment and
reaction time because alcohol depresses the functions of the brain.
It is very difficult to convert the legal limit into a number of drinks
because this depends on so many factors including your gender, weight,
strength of the drink and how quickly it is absorbed. The only safe
advice is don’t drink and drive and this is a message which applies
all year round.
Arrange to take turns at being a nominated driver who doesn't
drink and who drives everyone else home.
Remember that accidents happen on short journeys too. Don¹t be tempted
to think ‘its only round the corner, it’ll be okay to drive’.
You can still be over the limit the morning after a drinking session
because each unit of alcohol consumed takes an hour to leave your system.
A good night’s sleep does not necessarily mean that there is
no alcohol left in your system.
More information
www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk
www.infoscotland.com/alcohol
Drinkline Scotland: 0800 7 314 314
|
 |
