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. You may drink alcohol over the age of 18 in the UK, but please remember that some people choose not to and you should be mindful to respect other students and neighbours' choices. You do not need to have a ‘drinking problem’ for your alcohol consumption to cause issues in your academic and personal life, such as missing lectures or activities.
- Drinking excessively or binge drinking can leading 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, gender, 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 taking 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.
- You can keep track of your alcohol consumption using the Drink Aware drink tracker tools and download their app..
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 friends 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.
The University and Students' Union have demonstrated our commitment to providing students with a safe and responsible social life on campus by previously being part of the NUS Alcohol Impact programme backed by the Home Office.
Along with other universities Royal Holloway worrled to set a positive example for responsible drinking at university; further ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our students. The programme aimed to have a positive impact on student health, wellbeing and safety by encouraging and raising awareness of informed choices and responsible drinking.
The SU and College were delighted to have been successfully accredited (2015) and re-accredited (2019) by the NUS and have now embedded the requirements of the scheme into our normal working and support practices.
Drink spiking is a serious crime and carries a maximum 10 year prison sentence.
Don’t be a perpetrator of drink spiking - you have the responsibility not to be a perpetrator of crime and to do your part to keep everyone safe. Where someone has been spiked the person responsible is the person who added something to their drink not the victim.
1 in 10 students have experienced spiking nationally, and is reported to occur more frequently at private parties than in licenced venues
We all have a part to play in keeping each other safe and reducing the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs; not only by taking sensible precautions on nights out, but also by challenging any suspicious behaviour. Whether you know them or not, if you suspect an individual is spiking drinks let venue staff know of your concerns.
There are a few simple steps we can all take to have a safe night out:
- Monitor your alcohol intake and stay in control
- Stay together with friends
- Have plans for getting out/home
- Make sure your phone is charged
What to do if you think you or a friend have been spiked:
- Speak to a member of staff at the venue as soon as you can — they want you to be safe and should be trained to help
- Stay with them, keep talking to them and reassuring them that you’re getting help
- Encourage them to avoid taking any more drugs including alcohol
- Prevent them from leaving the venue alone or with anyone you don’t trust and who can’t prove they know them well
- Report the incident to Surrey Police
If you are concerned you may have been spiked and are looking for general health advice, you should contact your GP.
You can find more information via the Drinkaware website.
If you need to talk to someone about this please contact Wellbeing Support or the Students' Union Advice Centre
Alcohol Awareness Week is a week of awareness-raising, campaigning for change, and more. This year campaign ran from 3rd-9th July 2023 on the theme of ‘Alcohol and Cost’
This year's Alcohol Awareness Week takes place in July 2024 during July 2024, the theme of which has yet to be announced!We'll be sharing our plans for the week here very soon
You can also contact our Wellbeing Advisers, our Counsellors or the SU Advice Centre for more support and guidance.