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  • National Research Shows Aussies want Alcohol out of Sport

    According to a national research study released by The Salvation Army recently, most Australians want alcohol out of sporting events. In other words most Aussies would prefer not to see alcohol advertising during sporting events but would rather have it phased out of sport completely.

    The Salvation Army commissioned the Roy Morgan run survey of 1001 Australians which revealed that almost all believe that alcohol and sport are too closely linked in Oz at the moment.

    The research was commissioned as part of Alcohol Awareness Week in November. The Salvation Army sees harmful affects of alcohol on the community through their counselling services and programs and according to them this survey proves that the community shares the same concerns.

    Illwarra sporting, academics and charity representatives have welcomed the research findings that prove that at least 67 per cent of those surveyed felt that alcohol advertising needed to be phased out like tobacco advertising was in the past.

    The following excerpt from TheHerald.com.au explains further:

    Sixty-seven per cent of those surveyed felt that, just like tobacco advertising was phased out, it was time to phase out alcohol sponsorship of sport.

    And 70 per cent of people said that the amount of alcohol advertising people under 25 saw encouraged them to drink more.

    University of Wollongong academic Professor Sandra Jones said the findings of the national survey mirrored that of research undertaken by the university, and other institutions.

    ‘‘We know from good solid evidence from longitudinal studies over a number of years that the more young people are exposed to alcohol advertising, the earlier they start drinking, the more they drink and the more alcohol-related harm they experience,’’ Prof Jones said.

    ‘‘Having so much alcohol advertising during televised sport is a big contributor to young people taking up drinking and drinking at harmful levels in Australia.’’

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1853637/aussies-want-alcohol-ads-out-of-sport-study/?cs=2452

    The post goes on to express the view of Professor Jones, The director of the Centre for Health Initiatives who believes that alcohol advertising is not restricted to television, with the promotion brands, liquor outlets and clubs occuring through sports sponsorship as well.

    She explained that alcohol is being too closely associated with alcohol which is sending a clear message to young people that drinking and sport do go together. It is implied that if you watch sports, you drink alcohol and if you participate in sports you will drink alcohol and that if you are a sporting fanatic, your will drink alcohol.

    She says that as tobacco advertising in sport was banned sending the message that tobacco and sports do not go hand in hand, the banning of alcohol advertising and promotion in sport should have a similar effect.

    The post then went on to quote the chairman of Football South Coast, Eddy de Gabriele who was also pleased with the research findings,

    Football South Coast chairman Eddy de Gabriele also welcomed the survey.

    ‘‘Why is it that tobacco advertising was banned, but not alcohol – they are both drugs,’’ he said.

    ‘‘It’s a good thing to follow sport, but if it’s tied in with alcohol advertising, then it sends the wrong message that drinking alcohol must be a good thing too.

    ‘‘We have got 18,000 players from five years old all the way up to our league teams, and we needed to send a consistent message to our players of all ages that we don’t promote alcohol or smoking through sponsorship of any kind.’’

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1853637/aussies-want-alcohol-ads-out-of-sport-study/?cs=2452

     

     

     

     

  • Curfews and Harsher Penalties part of Crackdown on Violence in Sydney

    The hotel industry isn’t too happy about the new measures introduced by the government to crackdown on alcohol fuelled violence in Sydney’s entertainment district and in particular the 3am alcohol curfew. Pubs and clubs have called the measures harsh and “radical”, fearing that the impact it will have on their businesses will be crippling.

    The hotel industry has also warned that the crackdown by O’Farrell’s government would harm the “night-time economy”. Those in the legal field have also criticized the measures.

    The measures were announced last Tuesday and under them dozens of late night trading venues in central Sydney will have to lock out new customers from 1:30am and will have to stop serving alcohol altogether from 3am.

    According to Barry O’Farrell’s new measures, liquor license fees will be subjected to a risk based system throughout NSW and bottle stores will be forced to close by 10pm.

    Perhaps one of the laws that has gotten the biggest response from the public, some against it and others praising it, is the one-punch law. This law carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 8 years jail time for fatal assaults where drugs and alcohol were a factor and the maximum penalty is 25 years jail time.

    The following excerpt from an article on Smh.com.au explains more about the new measures:

    Police will be given powers to test violent offenders for drugs and alcohol and intoxication will be removed as a mitigating factor in sentencing.

    Legislation for the sentencing changes will be introduced next week and the government expects to have them in place by February 1. Mr O’Farrell said he hoped the new trading laws would be operating by the end of April and would be independently reviewed in two years.

    ”This is not about penalising responsible drinkers,” he said. ”It is about attacking the irresponsible acts of those who allow themselves to be intoxicated, whether by drugs or alcohol.”

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/premier-pledges-to-take-action-on-alcoholfuelled-violence-20140121-316y0.html#ixzz2rAMGpmVY

    Licensed venues are being warned that the new restrictions will be in addition to those already in place for pubs and clubs on the violent venues list or subject to the plan of management already in place in Kings Cross.

    The new laws were announced after the government faced increasing pressure to act on the violence in the district following the New Year’s Eve death of 18 year old Daniel Christie. Christie, like Thomas Kelly was a young man killed in the area during a violent assault. Christie’s killer administered just a single punch but it proved fatal.

    But not everyone is pleased with the new laws. The president of the NSW Bar Association, Phillip Boulten, condemned the mandatory sentencing as a “one size fits all form of justice”, which failed to take account of the circumstances of each case. He went on to explain:

    ”The government’s suite of practical measures aimed at reducing the availability of alcohol on our streets is the appropriate response to the problem of alcohol-related violence, rather than the knee-jerk changes to the criminal law that have been tagged on to the package,” he said.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/premier-pledges-to-take-action-on-alcoholfuelled-violence-20140121-316y0.html#ixzz2rAMGpmVY

     

  • Booze Cruise Staff to Complete Responsible Service of Alcohol Training

    Staff on booze cruises are no different than those employed in pubs and bars and so aren’t exempt from Responsible Service of Alcohol rules, however senior police officials in NSW say these party boats on Sydney Harbour are operating as “pubs without rules”. Police say these party boats should be held to the same liquor laws and regulations as other licensed venues.

    Some of the boats operating on Sydney harbour carry up to 900 people and the manner in which some of them serve alcohol is becoming a problem to police in the area. According to one police officer, the boats get people intoxicated by serving them multiple shots and then “dump them” at wharves where they become a problem to local police with their menacing behaviour.

    The police officer was quoted as saying,

     “They can be a nightmare,’’ one senior police officer said. “Many go out for four and five hours at a time where people drink non-stop and then (they) turf them out at Darling Harbour and Circular Quay and then it’s our problem.’’

    Read more at: http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/harbour-party-fun-boats-face-new-controls/story-fnii5s3x-1226821950057

    This article highlights an important issue – the need for Responsible Service of Alcohol training.

    RSA training applies not only to the employees of pubs, clubs and bars but also to those working on booze cruise party boats. Each boat’s employees must have a responsible service of alcohol certificate according to the law and although they currently are some slipping under the radar because of little policing on boats, authorities are likely to begin cracking down on these vessels as their fight against alcohol fuelled violence grows stronger, one officer suggests scanning customers getting on boats.

    Although most operators are abiding by RSA rules, there are some that are getting away with irresponsible practices, the following excerpt from the post on News.com.au explains:

    Most boats dock between 10pm and midnight but operators admit there are rogues in the business.

    “We have security guys on our vessels but there are a few operators out there who cater to the backpacker market and give a $50 all-you-can-drink package,’’ one employee of a well-known harbour vessel company said.

    “They are pretty much no-holds-barred and they don’t care what goes on.’’

    Read more at: http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/harbour-party-fun-boats-face-new-controls/story-fnii5s3x-1226821950057

    It is likely that as government cracks down on alcohol fuelled violence in entertainment districts, party boats will also come under the spotlight.

    With the measures announced by government last week, included 3am last drinks calls and 1:30am lockouts, greater regulation of party boats were also announced.

    The following is a quote from a licensee who runs a harbour cruise and said that boats were safer than pubs and clubs,

     “We’re very wary we don’t want a volatile situation on a boat so it’s pretty much a code within the charter boat industry that we take exceptional control in alcohol usage,” he said.

    “I’m not interested in making an extra five, 10, 20 bucks out of a person when they’re going to create havoc and start spewing all over the boat and there’s no area to kick them off.”

    Read more at: http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/harbour-party-fun-boats-face-new-controls/story-fnii5s3x-1226821950057

    If you or your venue is not complying with RSA laws it is vital that you do so before the government’s scrutiny of party boats hea

  • Fears that Non-violent Venues Unfairly Penalised by New Laws

    I recently came across an article on Smh.com.au which discussed the so-called ‘epidemic’ of alcohol fuelled misconduct and assaults in particular. The writer of the post questioned the validity of calling the problem an epidemic, providing statistics from an independent report into the 5 year statutory review of liquor laws.

    According to the report there were significant reductions in the following areas:

    ”on licensed premises (-28 per cent); alcohol-related assaults on police (-35 per cent); alcohol-related domestic assaults (-12 per cent); alcohol-related non-domestic assaults (-28 per cent); and hospital emergency department attendance rates for acute alcohol problems (-9 per cent) between 2008 and 2012”.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/sydney-liquor-laws-a-blunt-instrument-that-misses-the-mark-20140201-31trx.html#ixzz2sRJNO0Ai

    Much of the fuss surrounding alcohol fuelled issues is related to cowardly one-punch incidents such as the one that resulted in the death of Daniel Christie on New Year’s Eve. Not too long ago another teen lost his life after being assaulted in Kings Cross, Thomas Kelly. These 2 deaths certainly indicated a serious problem which needed attention but many believe that Barry O’Farrell’s tough new laws will not achieve this.

    Many people believe that the measures are penalising responsible drinkers along with the problematic ones.

    The writer of the article on Smh.com.au detailed the side effects of implementing the new measures such as the lockouts and last drinks calls. Certain musical genres thrive only after dark and these musicians as well as their fans will be negatively affected and unfairly so.

    The article goes on to detail some of the other “injustices” of the measures:

    There seems an injustice that a venue supporting late-night entertainment, which has worked hard to keep its liquor licence without a mark to its name, should face the same fate as those venues proven to attract and service the violent and unsociable characters responsible for this debate.

    It is quite clear that there is a disconnect between young people and those changing the laws.

    Simon Caldwell has worked as a DJ for 20 years and has become somewhat of an icon of Sydney’s electronic music scene.

    Caldwell states the obvious fact that people want to go out and they don’t want to have to go home at either one or three in the morning. And should they have to?

    (Read more about the writer’s opinion here: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/sydney-liquor-laws-a-blunt-instrument-that-misses-the-mark-20140201-31trx.html#ixzz2sRJNO0Ai)

    There are also concerns that Barangaroo and The Star are being exempted from the laws which many see as unfair.

    Perhaps one of the most extreme of the measures implemented is the laws that tackle alcohol-fuelled crime, including a mandatory minimum sentence of eight years in jail for fatal “one-punch” assaults where drug or alcohol use is a factor.

    Also venues in the Sydney City precinct will be subject to a 1:30am lockout and a 3am last drinks call. Bottle stores across the state also didn’t escape the reach of the new laws and are now forced to shut their doors at 10pm.

     

  • Drinking Restrictions in NSW lead to lower rate of Assaults

    According to the latest figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics (BOCSAR) assaults at licensed venues seems to be on the decline, apparently due to tougher conditions for drinkers and restrictions on licensed venues across the state.

    The measures are believed to be the greatest cause of the decline in alcohol related assaults according to the state’s number one crime statistician.

    The crime statistics show that assaults at licensed premises were stable over the last 2 years but have declined by about 7.9per cent each year over the past 5 years.

    This post from Bigpondnews.com explains further,

    Before 2009, assault rates at licensed premises were rising. But government-imposed restrictions, which started in Newcastle, have helped drop the frequency of boozed-up bashings, BOCSAR director Don Weatherburn told AAP.

    ‘It’s not going down really rapidly but 7.9 per cent per annum’s not to be sniffed at,’ he said.

    ‘Getting tough with licensed premises that serve alcohol to intoxicated people is working.’

    But he doesn’t know whether the government needs to crack down further.

    ‘The measures that are in place at the moment are pushing it down,’ he said.

    ‘Maybe we should just keep things as they are until and unless we see it level out again.

    ‘It’s not rising, it’s not stable, it’s falling so I think the current policy settings are probably doing good.’

    Source: http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Crime/2013/09/12/NSW_drinking_restrictions_drop_assaults_905642.html

    The only area where violent offences have increased is lower northern Sydney were it has increased by 11.5 per cent, other than that the rate of violent offences in metropolitan areas has stabilised.

    The statistics also show that although assaults at licensed venues are declining, indecent and domestic assault are on the rise in part of the state.

    The report from BOCSAR measures crime trends across 154 local government areas over the last 2 years to June 2013. The report shows that there have been a considerable increase in indecent assaults. These indecent assaults are up 38 per cent in Sydney’s inner west and up by 23.3 per cent at the mid-north coast.

    The report also shows a spike in the number of drug possession charges, particularly possession and use of ecstasy which increased by an alarming 70.8 per cent. The report showed cocaine use up by 44.1 per cent and amphetamines by 22.1 per cent.

    Another notable increase was in the number of alcohol thefts which has increased by 34.5 per cent.

    The article goes on to explain,

    Dr Weatherburn said he believed this figure reflected better policing, not that more people are using drugs.

    ‘Police ran operations, arrested a lot of people for drug possession,’ he said.

    Shootings remained stable and murder and attempted murder have dropped.

    The opposition used the figures to take a swipe at the government, saying it is ‘not putting a dent in the gun violence playing out in our suburbs.’

    Fraud has risen 22 per cent over the 24 months to June this year.

    ‘The majority of these offences involve the unauthorised use of credit cards and bank cards,’ Dr Weatherburn said.

    Source: http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Crime/2013/09/12/NSW_drinking_restrictions_drop_assaults_905642.html

     

  • ACT Police Minister calls for Alcohol Crime Squad Reinstatement

    The Police Commissioner, Simon Corbell has called for the reinstatement of the crime squad and has also described changes to the policing of alcohol crime in the territory as “sensible”, saying that licensed venues will continue to pay higher fees to help fund the services.

    The Attorney-General has promised that the amalgamation of an alcohol crime squad with the city beats police will not reduce efforts to tackle alcohol-related crime.

    The opposition have asked that the government reinstate an alcohol crime task force which was amalgamated with the city beat police to fill in due to the lack of officers patrolling at night, when most alcohol fuelled incidents occur.

    The Canberra Liberals will also call for at least $15 million that was cut from the ACT Police’s budget. The money is required to employ more police for the currently understaffed city beat. In addition to the calls from extra beat police, there will also be a call for legislation to provide additional protection for police who are assaulted in the line of duty.

    Reports have surfaced which claim that police chiefs have been having to work with seriously low numbers of beat police even though written complaints from officers have been coming in at least once a month for the past 2 years.

    Police management have this month responded by merging the beats squad with the alcohol crime squad. The alcohol crime squad was established in 2010 under new liquor laws and are being funded in part by pubs and clubs through higher fees which licensees have to pay under a risk-based licensing scheme. The following excerpt from CanberraTimes.com.au explains:

    The alcohol task force was set up to curb alcohol-related violence. Funding the squad led the fees for some venues to rise to more than $10,000 under a risk-based licensing scheme.

    Mr Corbell told the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday he was informed of the amalgamation about a week ago. The Attorney-General said the move would not reduce police resources targeting alcohol-related crime.

    ”Madam Speaker, the decision is one which is a sensible one on the part of the chief police officer,” Mr Corbell said.

    ”The chief police officer is seeking to deploy his resources in the most effective way possible.

    ”Of course it makes sense that particularly on a Friday or Saturday night the alcohol crime targeting team, which is in operation often in the Civic area, will work with and co-operate with the city beats team.

    ”This does not result in any reduction in the capability of the new dedicated combined team to focus on alcohol-related crime and violence, and those activities will continue, I’m advised, unchanged.”

    Under questioning from the opposition, Mr Corbell said the new structure would not mean a reduction in or refund of fees for licensees.

    Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/hanson-to-call-for-reinstating-alcohol-crime-squad-20130917-2txlk.html#ixzz2fAsycbdL

    Clubs ACT are not happy with both the ACT government and police management, claiming that pubs and clubs were not informed about the changes, some even calling the changes deceitful.

     

     

  • Alcohol Fuelled Patients Clog up Ambulance Services

    It appears the number of alcohol related call outs in Geelong has gotten out of control and is putting even more pressure on ambulances than any other region in Victoria, according to reports.

    According to an article on the Geelong Advertiser website, a report released by Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre earlier this year revealed that over 200 call outs a month in regional Vic are as a result of alcohol abuse or misuse.

    According to the report paramedics in greater Geelong attended almost 500 alcohol fuelled incidents in 2011-2012. Most of these cases are from self-inflicted injuries caused by alcohol as is actually risking the lives of other people in the area because it is diverting lifesaving resources away from the people that really need it.

    The article had this to say about the report’s findings:

    Greater Geelong paramedics attended 497 alcohol-related incidents in 2011-12, more than doubling the workload of areas such as La Trobe (190), Ballarat (178), Greater Shepparton (153) and Greater Bendigo (148).

    The report, released by Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre in May this year, found ambulances attended more than 200 call-outs per month in regional Victoria due to alcohol abuse.

    Ambulance union state secretary Steve McGhie said self-inflicted cases were diverting lifesaving resources away from patients with genuine health issues.

    “Geelong should be concerned,” he said. “It’s something we have to address together.

    “People get angry about illicit drugs and its toll on the community but alcohol abuse is much worse.”

    The Surf Cost recorded 46 alcohol-related call-outs, Colac Otway 30, Golden Plains 10 and Queenscliff five.

    Read more: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2013/10/14/374443_news.html

    A spokesperson for the Minister for Mental Health, Mary Wooldridge said the situation is a major social problem, especially considering that it is likely to increase if it is not dealt with. In the past 10 years, the number of alcohol related ambulance attendances increased every year,

    The government is committed to tackling this problem by reducing the impact of alcohol and drug abuse in the community – this is the only way to alleviate the problem of alcohol related attendances wasting valuable medical resources.

    The article goes on to explain:

    “The (whole-of-government strategy) plan includes initiatives to promote healthier attitudes to excessive drinking and drunk behaviour, as well as measures to effectively regulate alcohol supply with strengthened reforms to liquor licensing laws,” the spokesperson said.

    Labor secretary for health Wade Noonan said the report showed paramedics were being sent into dangerous situations and that people were left “dangerously exposed”.

    “The increase in alcohol and drug-related ambulance attendances is leading to some serious incidents involving our respected paramedics, including assaults,” he said.

    Source: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2013/10/14/374443_news.html

    As the spokesperson explained the huge alcohol related caseload is adding enormous pressure to the ambulance service which is already under stress. In fact the situation is so serious that one in four ambulances already failed to response to life-threatening emergencies within 15 minutes – the government’s target response time.

    A spokesperson for the Health Minister David Davis denied that the Ambulance service was failing to keep up with the high demand and cited a 13.7 per cent increase in ambulance shifts operating in the Geelong area. He says, the Geelong has more paramedics now than it’s ever had.

    What does this mean for RSA Staff?

    As RSA staff we have a duty to serve alcohol in a socially responsible manner so as not to contribute to the high number of alcohol related incidents tying up ambulances and other medical services, keeping them from seeing to patients with “real” non-self-inflicted problems. We can do this by completing the Responsible Service of Alcohol course and adhering to all RSA rules.

     

  • Statistics Show Anti-Violence Measures Working

    Good news recently emerged about the number of violent incidents occurring at venues in NSW. According to BOCSAR (NSW Bureau of Statistics, Crime and Research) figures there has been a significant reduction in violence in venues, a fact that the industry attributed to better preventative practices.

    The number of assaults happening on licenced premises apparently fell 23.7 per cent according to the BOCSAR report.

    Between January 2007 and December 2012the number of assaults reported in licenced venues dropped significantly. BOCSAR however did caution that these figures may be exaggerated slightly because venues may fail to report incidents for fear of licence restrictions or loss under NSW disciplinary schemes.

    BOCSAR then reportedly tested the validity of the figures by analysing 1600randomly selected incidents that took place during the same period and found “no statistical significance” in the rate of reporting by RSA staff at venues with recognised violence history versus those without.

    This BOCSAR report comes shortly after the latest list of NSW’ most violent venues was released in March. The list featured the fewest venues since the program began which shows that perhaps the new measures are working.

    An article on TheShout recently discussed the decline in assaults in licenced venues in the state as reported by BOCSAR and interviewed The AHA’s NSW directors of policing and regulations John Green. He told TheShout.com that the new measures involving operators and authorities are having the desired effect. As far as they are concerned, BOCSAR’s report further solidifies that new measures are working. RSA staff are doing their bit, working with police and reporting incidents.

    He went on to explain in the article:

    “And if you consider assaults in and around licensed premises are now at their lowest level in over 15 years, it demonstrates that licensees are working with police to reduce violence in and around venues.”

    The precinct most thwarted by the increased focus on anti-social behaviour, Kings Cross, has seen significant changes, which CEO of the Kings Cross Liquor Accord Doug Grand says have made a big difference.

    “In regards to the new measures in Kings Cross one of the main issues was the lack of late night transport options to allow late night patrons to leave the area,” said Grand.

    “The major improvement under the Kings Cross Plan of Management has been the improved operation to the late night secure taxi rank in Bayswater Road and additional late night buses.

    “This, along with a higher visibility police presence, and a collaborative focus between venues and Government, is having a positive effect in driving down anti-social behaviour.”

    Source: http://www.theshout.com.au/2013/08/07/article/Anti-violence-measures-working/ZMMXNFYASK.html

    It is important that employees of licenced venues continue to work with police and report violent episodes but it is also important that these staff do all they can to prevent situations escalating to this degree in the first place.

    In order to do this employees of licenced venues must complete the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) course – in addition to being a mandatory requirement in NSW it will also teach them what they need to know about serving alcohol responsibly so that customers do not become overly intoxicated and out of hand. Our homepage has more information about the RSA Course and how it can be completed today.

     

  • Driving under the influence facts and stats

    [media url=”tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iGgRVl-WFE&feature=player_embedded” width=”600″ height=”300″ jwplayer=”autostart=true”]

    Source: https://www.serenitygroup.com/driving-under-the-influence-facts-and-stats

  • Safe Drinking Checklist

    A lot of people vilify alcohol because of the alcohol fuelled problems we see and read about every day in the news but the truth is alcohol is valuable to society for many reasons. Beside the social benefits (alcohol helps people unwind, relax, distress and socialize better), it boosts the economy and provides countless numbers of people with employment however like every good thing there is always room for abuse.

    There are some people who use alcohol to cope with their problems, others have addictive personalities and others are influenced into dangerous drinking habits by peer pressure and social circumstances, the problem is not alcohol but people’s unhealthy approach to alcohol.

    This is one of the reasons why the Australian government implemented Responsible Service of Alcohol legislature, to negate the negative impact of drinking on society by controlling the sale of alcohol.

    Drinkers need to ensure that they keep their drinking habits under control, these are some of the guidelines for safe drinking

    There is no level of drinking alcohol that can be guaranteed to be completely ‘safe’ or ‘have no risk’ because everyone’s makeup is different, therefore everyone’s tolerance levels will also differ.  Alcohols effect on a person is affected by a myriad of things such as weight, gender and tolerance to alcohol. However, this checklist advises on how healthy adults can minimise the risk of short and long-term harms.

    ü  Drink no more than two standard drinks on any day, this reduces your risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury. Or drink no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion, this reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion

    ü  Ensure you have safe transport home even before you begin drinking

    ü  For women who are pregnant or breastfeeding it is recommended that you abstain from alcohol completely because we do not know what a safe amount is.

    ü  People under 18 years of age also should not drink alcohol at all – it is the law.

    ü  According to FARE (Foundation for alcohol research and education), parents and carers should be advised that children under 15 years of age are at the greatest risk of harm from drinking and that for this age group, not drinking alcohol is especially important.

    ü  Have you taken any drugs, illicit or prescription? If so it’s best to steer clear of alcohol because you cannot be sure of the reaction that will occur when you combine the two – it could be life-threatening, directly (the reaction of chemicals could be toxic to the body) or indirectly (you could become extremely drunk and place your life in danger by drink driving etc.)

    ü  Assess your motive for drinking. Why are you drinking? If it is to get drunk then abstain from alcohol because you could be developing a problem.

    ü  Are you aware of the number of standard drinks you should consume based on your gender and the daily recommended amount? Also do you know how many standard drinks are contained in your favourite drinks? If not familiarise yourself with this to ensure you are not drinking too much.

    Keep this checklist in mind and a night out need not turn into an alcohol fuelled tragedy.