Alcohol - Know Your Limits - Don't let a good night turn into a bad one.

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Personal Safety Don't make it easy for thieves

Be aware of your surroundings.

In the pub

When you're drunk, you're easier to rob. You're also more likely to lose your stuff like your house keys, your money or your travel pass. Without these, you're going to have trouble getting home which is bad news if you've had too much to drink.

To keep your things safe, keep them out of sight. So don't leave your mobile out on the pub table where everyone can see it and don't advertise your valuables such as MP3 players or laptops.

Heading home

Women feel most in danger walking down the street, yet it's men who are the most likely victims of muggers.

So remember:

 

You might think you can control yourself, but you can't control how other people behave when they're drunk. Young men are particularly vulnerable to violent attacks by other people who've been drinking.

 

Violence Don't get caught up in it

Alcohol can make people more violent. So when you're out drinking, there's always a risk of getting into a fight.

To avoid trouble, remember:

If you start a fight, steal or damage property when you're on a night out bear in mind that the consequences can be severe.

For a start, you may receive a criminal record. This could affect your freedom to travel and work.

You could also be issued with a fine, such as an FPN (Fixed Penalty Notice). Here are some examples of fines:

You may also be issued with an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO). Although it is a civil order, it is a firm measure to stop the behaviour that led to the order being made. This could involve you being banned from places you like to go to. If you fail to keep to the conditions of the order, you will have committed a criminal offence and you could go to prison for up to five years. To enforce the order your details could be given to the local community for their protection so they can tell the police or local authority if the terms of the order are broken.

Remember, too, that what you do when you're drunk doesn't just affect you. It affects the friends you're with, the people in the local area and the emergency services who might be called to deal with a situation you get involved in – when they could be helping someone else.

Accidents Be twice as careful

You are more likely to have an accident when you are drunk.

Dizziness

Most accidents after drinking can be avoided if you're careful. Obviously, if you're so drunk that you're dizzy or falling over, you could do yourself a serious injury – make sure you ask someone you trust to look after you.

Traffic

When you've been drinking, you're at much greater risk of being run over. People often misjudge traffic when drunk due to slowed reactions. So take extra care when crossing the road and leave yourself more time than you normally would.

Emergencies How to cope with them

If a friend loses consciousness after drinking:

If someone vomits you should: