This academic year SOS-UK working with 51 Universities/Students’ Unions taking part in the Drink Rethink programme, managed by Student’s Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK) with support from NUS and Drinkaware.
Drink Rethink is a preventative approach which supports you to reflect on your drinking, consider associated risks and the potential benefits of moderation. This academic year, Drink Rethink is launching a new campaign to encourage students to check their drinking with Drinkaware’s Drinking Check.
The Drinking Check is an online alcohol self-assessment that helps you understand more about your relationship with alcohol and offers advice and guidance on how to reduce your drinking if you choose to do so.
So, what are the potential benefits of checking your drinking?
38% of students said they had missed a lecture or seminar due to their drinking and 32% of students said they had argued with friends or strangers while under the influence of alcohol, according to research conducted by SOS-UK.
Drinking too much can have a negative impact on our relationship and mental health. Alcohol can affect our mood for instance, making us more likely to get angry or even aggressive. It can also make you feel more tired and irritable. You may find it harder to concentrate on a lecture or you’re more likely to get into an argument with your peers after a few drinks.
Understanding more about your relationship with alcohol can make it easier to see how it might be affecting your studies or health and allow you to take the steps to make changes if you need to. If any of this sounds familiar, or you're interested in understanding how alcohol might be affecting your life, check your drinking now.
Drink Rethink resources:
Learn more about your relationship with alcohol through our digital resources:
Smart Start: alcohol during the welcome period
Reset your relationship with alcohol: sober curiosity
University alcohol awareness week: alcohol and mental health