Posted on 20 November 2012.
Before you start accusing me of being a ?nana no fun?, let?s explore what can happen when someone gets trashed?
Here is an example: Hone and Brenda are two young queer professionals. They graduated a couple of years ago and still are paying off a substantial student loan. It?s Friday night and after a long hard week they are hanging out to party up at Whanau Bar.
To cut costs they have their first beers and pre-mix G&T?s at Hone?s place before heading out. They grab a quick snack but ?eatin is cheatin? so they don?t eat too much. Being responsible drivers they catch a bus into town. Brenda is not used to drinking and is already quite out of it. Hone suggests she drink vodka and red bull to keep going.
They get to the bar and some of their buddies are there. It is all good ? with everyone buying rounds. It is not long before the alcohol has affected the ?rational? part of the brain? each round is costing about $80.
Towards the end of the night it is time for ?shots!? There is the hard core left, six mates ? at $10 a shot, that?s $60 dollars a round. Throughout the night Hone has bought four rounds, now he is the one to buy the shots, he has spent about $400 and the night is young! It is going to be hard to pay the rent next week.
During the evening Hone loses track of Brenda. The next day he wakes up feeling like shit with bruises he doesn?t not know how he got and with a man he doesn?t know.
Okay, going out and meeting up with your mates is a good thing. If you are drinking alcohol, how do you do this without suffering the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption? Here are a few tips:
- Eat a decent meal before you go out; fish and chips, burgers, anything that helps you feel ?full?. Continuing to eat while you are out is also good.
- Take cash; leave your eftpos/credit card at home. Even if your wallet can cope, your body will thank you for not soaking it in alcohol for hours (remember it takes over an hour to metabolise one standard drink ? that is 300 ml beer, 100ml wine or one shot of spirits).
- Leave some money at home to cover taxi costs, that way you can afford to get home if you do happen to spend all the money you have with you while you?re out.
- Avoid buying rounds but if you have to, make it one round and no more.
- Shots once you are already drunk are madness.
- Look after each other! If you see a good mate getting trashed, give them a glass of water. If you go out with a mate, make sure they are safe to get home before you take off with someone else. Never leave a mate stranded ? that is not cool.
- If you are really clever, drink the same volume of water as alcohol. You might want to do this once you have a good buzz on, which means you will keep it going longer (without progressing to a semi-conscious stupor).
Remember before you go out that drinking less alcohol reduces the longer term risk of serious diseases such as cancer, liver disease and stroke; improves the condition of your skin; can have a positive effect on sleep patterns and can even boost your sex life (at least you will be able to remember it!).
Summer is here and with it party season. How wonderful it would be if we could reduce the current statistics that show queer people are over-represented in mental health and addiction issues, including alcohol.
My wish for you all is to have a great, fun, relaxing and joyful time this summer while creating fabulous memories you can remember.
| Diana Rands
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 or if you live outside Auckland contact Alcohol and Drug Helpline 0800 787 797.?
Source: http://www.gayexpress.co.nz/2012/11/mindful-summer-drinking/
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