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The Silly Season - Summer Express Article
Wednesday, 6 December 2006.
Originally from express article 6 December 2006
By Di from Auckland Community Alcohol and Drug Services (CADS)
 |
| Di from CADS with some good advice for over the silly season. |
The silly season is upon us; Christmas and New Year celebrations mean more drinking and drugging, especially in the gay scene we like to hit it hard and fast.
Di Rands and Kate Bukowski from CADS give the low down on the impact of alcohol and other drugs, and remind us that we can be clever about our own alcohol and other drug use.
The facts
So what is the killer drug in society? Alcohol! It causes by far the most harm. Yes even compared to ‘p’, cannabis, heroin etc. You see it has the best marketers...
We all know that over-indulgence of alcohol is a lead cause of: road accidents, domestic violence, relationship break downs (or break-ups, whichever you prefer), health problems, and unsafe sex. It is also linked to poor performance at work, in bed and on the sports field.
Yet most New Zealanders think it is alright to indulge. In fact it is alright to get pissed – a lot. A 2005 survey by ALAC found that 1.2 million of us are OK with binge drinking and 450,000 were doing just that when they last drank alcohol. As ALAC states ‘It is not the drinking, it’s the way we drink.”
Some poor buggers experience harm the first time they drink, but most of us get away with it for a while. We have news for you, if you keep over indulging it will catch up with you.
The World Health Organisation did an international study on how much alcohol can be drunk consistently without negatively impacting on health (average person in good health). For women it is 4 standard drinks per drinking occasion, and 14 per week. For men it is 6 standard drinks per drinking occasion, and 21 per week. They found that you also should have least 2-3 alcohol free days a week (to give your liver a break!).
Most bottles and cans have the number of standard drinks contained in them printed on their label – so you have no excuse not to keep track. Except……. Alcohol is a depressant; it slows down the functioning of the clever part of your brain – the prefrontal cortex. This is where your decision making capacity is; your reasoning, deciding what is right and wrong, self-control, and your inhibitions – they're all affected. That means the more you drink, the less likely you are to make good decisions.
An ‘on to it’ person decides before they start drinking what their limit is for the night. They may even make it a habit to drink a glass of water every hour, or have friends remind them that really don’t need that third tequila slammer to have a good time...
If you have concerns about your own or someone else's benzodiazepine or other drug use, or if you'd like more information, contact CADS on 845 1818 or www.cads.org.nz or if you live outside Auckland contact Alcohol and Drug Helpline 0800 787 797.
The good news is that research from Australia has shown that there is a growing concern amongst queer people of the high level of substance use and the negative effects this has on individuals, relationships and the community as a whole. (Beyond Perceptions 2000)
Harm Reduction – how do we drink/use smarter not harder?
Hangover cures
The simple hangover cure is not to drink too much in the first place; more does not always equal more fun.
So the safest thing to do is sip stay and play which means:
- eat before you go out, this will protect your stomach and slow the rate alcohol is absorbed into your body.
- Drink non-alcoholic drinks through the night, this will make sure you stay hydrated - pace yourself, think tall drinks, keep away from shots and remember the rule that your body can only safely process one standard drink an hour
- Stop drinking a few hours before you go home, that way you will sober up by the time you hit the sack and you can make a good decision about who you hit the sack with!
- Drink lots of water, especially if you are in the sun or dancing. Before you go to bed drink as much as you can fit in, that way you will not wake up too dehydrated.
Party drugs
Even though it is alcohol and cannabis that cause the most harm in relation to accidents and long term physical health consequences, people still need to be careful when using party drugs.
Illegal or legal, party drugs such as Party Pills, Ecstasy, “P”, GHB, LSD, Ketamine, etc need to be used carefully:
- Make a plan before you go out
- Have somebody to look out for you
- Know your source
- If you feel really weird get some fresh air; take some time to chill and if you don’t feel up to going back in its better to go home rather than running the risk of going back in and passing out on the dance floor
- put some time aside to chill out and come down after the event, focus on rest, getting some extra vitamin C, keep up your fluids
- If someone does pass out, always put them in the recovery position and ring 111.
While you are out remember to check in with yourself:
Am I still having fun?
How am I going to feel tomorrow?
How am I getting home?
Have I got any money left?
Would I go home with this person if I was sober/straight? (Or are my beer goggles distorting the view…)
And if you do go home with someone remember always have safe sex.
Our Gay Venues
In Auckland we are very lucky to have a few fab gay venues. We figured these people are likely to be at the sharp end of over indulgence and we were interested in how they dealt with it. So we asked Vaughan at ‘Witch’, Sarah from ‘Flirt’ and Francis, the Family Bar’s duty manager some pertinent questions.
Unfortunately Francis from the Family Bar didn’t get back to us but Vaughan and Sarah had some great replies. First is Vaughan, he is known to be quite verbose – but every word is a gem!
Vaughan from Witch
Q: What is the procedure at your venue, if someone is looking intoxicated? A: We always err to the side of caution and we refuse drinks if we believe that the person concerned has had too much. Of course in a bar environment it can be difficult to adequately assess that and from time to time we make a wrong call and end up offending people, however the call is usually made based on what the bar staff observe and we always try to get another bar member to see if they agree.
Q: How about if they go on to engage in unsafe behaviour? A: Generally people are their with friends and we have a word to one of them if we have concerns – it is very difficult to tell a drunk person that they have had too much but they often feel better if a friend is agreeing with the call. We offer people soft drinks or water in this situation and also suggest we call them a cab. If we don’t have any success with this then we will have a word to the bouncers who will come in and talk to the person and remove them as necessary. We don’t like having to do this but it sometimes serves as a wake up call for people and they may think twice about how they drink next time they are out. ..you need to know that if you come to Witch and are overly intoxicated, we will not just ignore it and stand by while you get worse or make an even bigger tit of yourself, we will try to intervene – let’s face it, no really wants the hangover that we get from drinking too much! Folk are there to have a great time and that is what we want to encourage but it has to be a safe place for individuals and others alike.
Q: Is free drinking water available? A: Yes, we keep iced water in jugs and glasses at each end of the bar for people to help themselves to... you shouldn’t feel the pressure to drink or keep up with everybody else, we are a business that makes money of people having a good time – drinking is only part of the equation. There are a number of people in our community who for one reason or another don’t drink alcohol, they have the same value to us as a business as any other customer.
Q: In terms of alcohol and other drug use, what do you think enhances an evening at your venue? A: The people relaxing and having a good time sets the tone for the place – we aren’t a booze barn or a particularly effective pick up joint. Most of our crowd expects something different and they enjoy the fact that we are not either of these things (although plenty of people have had ‘first encounters’ at Witch!).
Q: What's your message to the queer community about drinking this summer? A: Have fun and know your limits - it is always better to know them yourself than have others point them out!
Sarah from Flirt
Q: What is the procedure at your venue, if someone is looking intoxicated? How about if they go on to engage in unsafe behaviour? A: If a person is very intoxicated I ask their friends to take them home, if they are by themselves, I would put them in a cab. If someone becomes aggressive they are asked to leave the club by myself or a bouncer.
Q: Is free drinking water available? A: Yes.
Q: In terms of alcohol and other drug use, what do you think enhances an evening at your venue? A: Having responsible bar staff and a good support network of friends who advise me of any people not behaving in a safe way.
Q: What's your message to the queer community about drinking this summer? A: Have a fun and safe summer and remember to look after your friends!
If you have concerns about your own or someone else's alcohol or other drug use, or if you'd like more information, contact CADS on 845 1818 or www.cads.org.nz. If you live outside Auckland contact Alcohol and Drug Helpline 0800 787 797.
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