Drink safe this RAG week

RAG week can be an excuse for many students to miss lectures and hit the bar just after breakfast. Drinking so early in the day often results in skipping meals, making it easy for students to consume more alcohol than usual without realising how drunk they may be.

Even in the seemingly safe environment of your college campus, it is very easy to find yourself in a frightening situation that has either been caused by or has escalated from too much alcohol.

The dangers for students and binge drinking can often fall on deaf ears as it has all been said and heard before. This however does not stop the same drink related situations from arising again and again. For some students, a night of drinking to get drunk can lead to a worse outcome than a bad hangover and an empty wallet.
In a recent survey of American college students aged 18 to 24, it was found that 54% of binge drinkers had experienced complete blackouts after a night out. Also 25% of the students admitted that their college work had suffered due to alcohol and partying. Students drinking heavily is not breaking news, however the dangers of students drinking and the possible affects of drinking is still a major concern for colleges.

College events rarely happen without the odd drunken display such as students attacking other students, fights getting out of control and people being taken advantage of when they were too drunk to know what was happening. The same survey showed that 90% of all campus-related violence is down to alcohol.

Aron Hegarty, a final year DCU student, has worked as a student advisor at most balls on campus in the last three years and has witnessed plenty of drink-related drama. “In my experience at DCU events, the aftermath of these nights is filthy,” he said.

“It is a huge job for the cleaning staff, there are beer cans everywhere. As a student advisor it is my job to stop the fights before they happen. Bouncers at these events can be extremely pushy and aggressive towards drunken students and obviously when you have been drinking your reactions are different than if you were sober,” he added.

Worryingly, 80% of males who committed date rape had consumed alcohol prior to the incident. The survey also found that 55% of date rape victims had been drinking before they were assaulted. This by no means insinuates that drinking is the reason for these situations but if a student is in control of their drinking and is fully aware of their surroundings, the chances of them experiencing these dangers are lowered considerably.

DCUSU’s Campaigns and Information Officer David McGovern believes that RAG week is crucial when it comes to promoting safe drinking. “I have seen people throwing up in the sinks and more at the college balls. Some of the behaviour is just disgusting. [This] RAG week we are actually getting together with drinkaware.ie to promote healthy drinking and the dangers and consequences of being drunk,” he said.

Students are advised to look after themselves this RAG week and remember that it is always nicer to be the person talking about the night before than the person who has to fill in the blanks.

Taking a few extra precautions on a night out even on campus is vital for students’ personal safety. It is advised to always keep some extra credit in your phone because at some stage you may lose everybody you came with. Arrange a meeting point with your friends so you have somewhere to regroup if you become separated from your friends and cannot contact them. Try to drink from bottles as this limits any glass breaking and reduces the risk of spiking. Try and be aware of your own surroundings and of what you are doing.