Getting into the Christmas Spirit?

Lads' Night Out Campaign

Did you know?

A third of Domestic Violence Incidents are Alcohol Related

Alcohol is one of the risk factors in domestic violence.  Almost one in four women are estimated to have been assaulted by a partner since the age of 16.  In one year 360,000 incidents of domestic violence were reported and around a third were linked to alcohol misuse.  The cost of the human and emotional impact suffered by vicitims of alcohol related domestic abuse, not just violence, are far higher and up to 1.3 million children are affected by parental alcohol problems.  Marriages where there are alcohol problems are also twice as likely to end in divorce.

Alcohol is not the cause of domestic violence but it can exacerbate the effects – for example making the injuries sustained in an assault more severe.  It is a fact that substance misuse and domestic violence often co-exist:  rates of alcohol misuse and dependence among perpetrators may be up to seven times higher than in the general population. 

Victims of domestic violence may also use alcohol as a coping mechanism.  Either way, problems with alcohol can make it harder to access help.  The Island Women’s Refuge understand the issues facing victims of domestic abuse and offer support.  The Freedom Programme is open to any woman who has been in an unequal relationship.  They run the programme during term time and also have limited crèche spaces available.  For more information please call 01983 825981, ask for Freedom and leave your contact telephone number so we can call you back.

Men for Change is open to any man who would like to find out more about abusive behaviours, how they are underpinned by deeply held beliefs and the effects such behaviours have on partners and children.  The programme is particularly suitable for men who have a sincere desire to change these behaviours and thereby improve the quality of their relationships with their children, partner or potential partner.  Tel: 07722927354 for referrals and information, leave your details and someone will call you back.

It is often less publicised that men in relationships may also be the victims of abuse.  There is a National Helpline for men run by the Mankind Initiative:  01823 334244 on weekdays 10.30am to 4pm and 7pm to 9pm.

Having a Good Time, Doesn’t mean having a hangover

Most people enjoy a night out on the town, especially during Christmas Party season, but that doesn’t mean you have to drink to excess.  Don’t feel you have to keep up with your friends, drink at your own pace and switch to soft drinks if you have had enough.  The Human Body has no use for alcohol and once it has been absorbed into your blood stream views it as a “poison” to be broken down and removed from the system.  The liver has to break the alcohol down into water and carbon dioxide to remove it from your blood.  In doing this it releases chemicals that have an irritating effect on the lining of your brain and on your stomach.  That is why if you drink too much you will get a headache and feel sick!  The liver takes about an hour to break down one unit of alcohol, so the more units you drink, the longer it will take to get out of your system and more likely you will be to get a hangover!

7,774 people were caught drink driving in the UK last Christmas

Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. There is no foolproof way of drinking and staying under the limit, or of knowing how much an individual person can drink and still drive safely.
Each person's tolerance to alcohol depends on a range of factors:

  • weight
  • gender
  • age
  • metabolism
  • current stress levels
  • whether they have eaten recently
  • amount of alcohol

So the only safe option is not to drink alcohol if you plan to drive, and never offer an alcoholic drink to someone else who is intending to drive.
Download YOU THINK advert to site http://www.dft.gov.uk/think_media/241033/241060/momentofdoubt.mpg

There is always an alternative

Most drink drivers don’t plan to break the law.  So to make sure you don’t become another statistic, here are several ways you can avoid drinking and driving.

  • book a taxi.  To make sure you get one, book it as early as you can in the evening. 
  • At the start of the night agree who’s driving and not drinking.
  • Use public transport routes to help you get home.
  • If you’re at a friends house, stay overnight.
  • Don’t get into a car driven by someone else who’s been drinking.
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And the Morning After...

Don’t be in a rush to get behind the wheel the morning after you’ve been out drinking.  You may feel fine but you could still be over the legal alcohol limit or unfit to drive. 

A cold shower, a cup of coffee or any of the other myths about “sobering up” won’t make you fit to drive any quicker.  It just takes time to get the alcohol out of your system.