College and Students' Union statement about responsible alcohol consumption

 

We recognise some students will choose to drink socially but we ask you to drink responsibly and to consider the health and social impact of alcohol consumption. If you choose to drink alcohol have you considered…?

• Drinking excessively or binge drinking can lead to health problems, injuries, increase the risk of you being a victim or perpetrator of crime and impact on your academic performance? 
• Be aware that the effect of alcohol on you depends on your age, sex, size, weight, how fast you've been drinking, how much you've eaten, your general health and other medication or substances you might have taken.
• If you drink regularly, your body can build up a tolerance to alcohol and that is why it's important to take regular breaks from drinking. Have regular alcohol free days to see what positive results you notice.
• The Chief Medical Officer's guidelines for all genders is that to keep health risks from alcohol to a low level it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis. If you regularly drink more than this it may lead to longer term damage to your health, wellbeing, achievement and social life. 

We are happy to discuss any of these issues with students at any time to allow you to make informed decisions about your alcohol consumption. 

If you are worried about your or a friend's use of alcohol, are feeling pressurised into drinking by others or wish to seek advice please contact us at wellbeing@royalholloway.ac.uk or advice@su.rhul.ac.uk.

Alcohol & Drink Spiking

The Students' Union takes a zero-tolerance approach to the spiking of drinks and will work closely with the University and Police to push for prosecution with the full force of the law at every available opportunity. Our Spiked campaign is there as a warning to individuals who may think about adding an extra shot or something more malicious to a drink - spiking someone’s drink carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence - while helping to educate our campus community on the proactive steps you can take to look after both yourself and your friends on nights out.

Read more about how the College is supporting you to make responsible choices on their Alcohol & Drink Spiking page.

Alcohol Awareness Week

A week of raising awareness, campaigning for change, and more, this year's Alcohol Awareness Week runs from 15-21 November 2021 and is themed around alcohol and relationships.

We’ll be looking at the ways in which alcohol can affect our relationships and sharing stories, factsheets, tips and more throughout the week. For more information on the plans and how you can get involved, check out the College's Alcohol & Drink Spiking page.

Alcohol Impact Survey

As part of Alcohol Awareness Week, all students are invited to complete a short confidential NUS survey on your views and experiences related to alcohol and drugs (even if you don’t drink alcohol or take drugs). The deadline for the survey is Sunday 5 December 2021, so make sure you have your say and be in with the chance of winning a top cash prize of £150 or one of ten £25 runner-up prizes!

Complete the survey

 Alcohol Impact

The University and Students' Union have demonstrated our commitment to providing students with a safe and responsible social life on campus by being part of the NUS Alcohol Impact programme backed by the Home Office.

Along with other universities, Royal Holloway will set an example for responsible drinking at university; further ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our students. The programme, which is being championed by the SU, aims to have a positive impact on student health, wellbeing and safety by encouraging and raising awareness of responsible drinking. As well as new ideas the University will continue its pre-existing commitments and continued alcohol awareness education.

Accreditation

The SU and College are delighted to have been successfully accredited (2015) and re-accredited (2019) by the NUS.

Head of Wellbeing, Helen Groenendaal, said: "Our wish is to support students throughout their time at university by helping them recognise the variety of social options available and allowing them to make informed choices. The health risks linked to alcohol are well documented so we want to make students more aware of the impact irresponsible drinking can have on their academic studies, their friendship groups and their general health. We also want to highlight the fact that alcohol consumption can lead to students being more likely to be victims of crime."

The project has enabled the NUS and Home Office to develop an accreditation mark for responsible alcohol policy and practice while supporting the social norm of responsible behaviour among students.