Alcohol-related violence accounts for almost half of all violent crime across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
80 per cent of pedestrian deaths on a Friday and Saturday night are alcohol related and one in three rapes occur when the victim is drunk.
If you are going on a night out to celebrate the festive season, make sure you are not an offender or a victim of alcohol-related violence by following these few tips:
- Make sure that you have had something to eat before a night out – never drink alcohol on an empty stomach.
- Drink water before you go out so that you don’t start the evening feeling thirsty.
- Before you go out, decide how much you are going to drink and stick to your limit. Avoid ‘rounds’ – they can encourage you to drink more than you want to.
- Drink water or a soft drink during your night – this keeps you hydrated.
- Have something to eat during the evening – this helps to slow down alcohol absorption.
- Don’t leave your drink somewhere – this makes it easy for your drink to be spiked.
- Always refuse a drink offered to you by a stranger.
- Drink out of bottles and only bottles that are opened in your sight. This will prevent someone 'spiking' (putting a drug in) your drink. Always keep your drink with you.
