With festivals lining up, beer gardens heaving from the World Cup and BBQ season around the corner, this summer is set to be far from a dry one. But pair a pint (or two) with another heatwave and you’ve got a recipe for disaster – so we’ve got the tips on how to sip safely
Words: Amy Dowrick | Images: Shutterstock
Whether it’s carrying your friend to the cab at four in the morning or waking up midday with a pounding headache, we’re all aware of the effects of alcohol – but why do we love those who hurt us the most?
According to anthropologist Professor Robin Dunbar, while drinking alcohol can help our inhibitions, our endorphins are mostly triggered by the bonding it creates – and it’s this socialising that has the most benefit on our mental health. “There are huge, huge benefits in terms of health, never mind the social and ecological benefits of being in the wider community,” he says.
Throw in some summer heat, hours of sunshine and a bank holiday weekend, and it’s no wonder the pubs are spilling out onto the streets. But with the summer season comes much longer nights, and the effects of alcohol can become much more heightened – dehydration becomes heat stroke; impaired judgement turns into skin damage and lack of coordination can, in worse-case-scenarios, risk drowning.
So, if you’re wondering how to stay safe this summer without making it a dry one, here’s what you need to bear in mind:
How to drink safely this summer
Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it encourages the kidneys to get rid of fluid (which is what happens when you ‘break the seal’). You also tend to sweat more as it interferes with your body’s ability to control its own temperature.
Put both together and you start to lose more fluid than you take in – so you need to replace that lost fluid by drinking extra water.
Tip: Watch how many pints you order and stay hydrated in between each.
Don’t drink and swim
While you might be tempted to cool off in the sea, don’t go anywhere near it. Drinking can impair your judgement, balance and coordination, which will seriously affect your ability to get yourself out of trouble.
Alcohol has been known to increase the risk of accidental drowning, and according to the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS), 45% of young people aged 16-25 who lost their lives this way had alcohol in their bloodstream.
Skip the binge
With summer evenings now longer, it’s easy to lose track of how much alcohol you’re having in one sitting – but having too much in a short space of time can be extremely dangerous.
The recommended drinking guidelines, as per the UK Chief Medical Officers, is no more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days – so that’s a no to binging.
Our bodies can only process roughly one unit of alcohol an hour, so binging allows the effects to be felt a lot quicker and stronger – meaning you’re less likely to recognise early warning signs of heat exhaustion or sunburn.
Drinking less alcohol could make you fitter and healthier – and even help you lose weight
Go low or no
If you’re looking for a way to cut down on alcohol without cutting it out completely, alcohol-free or low alcohol drinks could be your best bet – and you’ll also be less likely to get dehydrated during hot weather.
44% of UK drinkers (about 23 million adults) have already made the swap, with a growing 24% to 33% of UK adults practicing complete abstinence – so you won’t be the odd one out.
Tip: If you want to cut out alcohol completely, bear in mind that ‘low alcohol’ drinks contain 1.2% alcohol by volume (ABV) or less, and ‘alcohol-free’ drinks are mostly 0.5% ABV or less – so they aren’t always suitable if you’re going sober.
If you want to keep track of your drinking habits and stay in control this summer, head to drinkaware.co.uk or download the MyDrinkaware app, where you can calculate your daily units, log your drinks and take part in an alcohol self-assessment questionnaire to discover your health risks.
