Being drunk and high, is it any good?

`The usual, Friday night and everyone is off their face. They look like they're having so much fun. Asking me to try everything and anything. I don't want to be boring; I'm at university having the time of my life. If I don't experiment now, I never will. I don't want to miss out. Everyone does it, right?'

Alcohol and drugs are addictive toxic substances that can have a really bad effect on your long and short term health. It is not a secret that many students will experiment with drugs and alcohol when they come to university.

For many it can be the first time they have had the opportunity to do so. It's important that you do not allow yourself to be pressured into it, that you are sensible about it and that you know the dangers.

Alcohol
It will be hard for you to find a student who doesn't drink, but it is how much and how often you drink that can have a negative effect on your health.

A typical student's life involves doing a little bit of work, a lot of going out, having a good time and getting drunk.

No one is saying it isn't fun to drink every now and again. There are even positive effects to drinking - it's a good way to relax and socialise. Drinking can also act as a welcome break and distraction from the stress of work, but the long-term effects of regular excessive drinking can be devastating.

Useful facts:

• Recommended amounts of alcohol for women are 2 units per day and for men 3 units per day. These different amounts are not there to be sexist. They exist because the make up of a woman's body is such that she will get drunk faster and have a greater risk of contracting liver disease.
  As a guide a typical unit is half a pint of beer, a 25ml spirit measure or a small glass of wine. But be careful as many drinks are now being made stronger.
  
  
• Don't save all your units up over the week and then drink them all in one night. Binge drinking is even worse for your health. It is during these times that students tend to lose valuables and also leave themselves extremely vulnerable to more serious incidents such as having their drinks spiked, being mugged or raped.
  
  
• The short term effects of excessive drinking are things like the horrendous hangover. You will lose control, become dehydrated, and have blurred vision, loss of balance, slurring of speech and often vomiting, which if you're unconscious can lead to suffocation. Some people become violent and aggressive.
  
  
• The long-term effects can have huge implications on your health, and in the worst cases can lead to death. Dangerous drinking has been linked to obesity, infertility, sexual problems, vitamin deficiency, skin problems and inflammation of the pancreas. More seriously, it can lead to loss of brain cells, liver failure, stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, cancer, heart failure and epilepsy.
  
  
• Alcohol is a depressant so if you already suffer from low mood it will only make things worse. It's also a dis-inhibitor so people often make decisions which they later regret.

Useful tips:

If you are going to go drinking be safe and be sensible about it.

• Make sure you are with a group of friends and that you stay with them and don't wander off.
• Look out for each other
• Never leave your drink unattended
• Don't accept drinks from strangers, especially if you haven't seen the drink being prepared.
• Keep your valuables hidden so as not to attract attention to them.
• Drink water or non-alcoholic drinks through the night and before you go to bed to prevent yourself from getting dehydrated
• Be sensible with the amounts you drink overall to avoid any of the dangerous long or short term effects.

Useful links -

www.apas.org.uk - for information on sensible drinking, facts on alcohol and the effects on you and the people around you
bupa fact_sheets - For information on sensible drinking and the long and short term effects of drinking. Also gives information on how to cut down or stop drinking.
nhsdirect - For information on the effects of alcohol misuse, how to stop drinking. Also provides information on various support groups and help lines.

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