With the night’s drawing in its often difficult to stay safe at night, whether this is walking home in the dark or going on a night out with your friends. This article gives you the best advice to make sure that you stay safe in Lincoln.
Nights Out
While it’s easy to get caught up in the fun, it’s important to stay both level headed and safe on nights out.
Stay in groups
It’s important that when you go on nights out its important to stay in groups. Make sure you keep an eye on each other and never think about leaving the venue by yourself. If you go to the bar or the toilet, make sure you have a meeting point! Similarly, try coordinating taxis home with your group or staying at a friend’s house.
Don’t “down it fresher”
Social pressures from friends can often cause you to drink too much and alcohol can vastly impair your judgement. The first step to resist the pressure to drunk is to become aware of the two types of social pressures:
- Direct social pressure is when someone offers you a drink or opportunity to drink.
- Indirect social pressure is when you feel tempted to drink just because people
Make sure you don’t get swept away in the moment and remember your limits. Especially avoid mixing your drinks or drinking too quickly.
Watch over your drinks
When going on nights it’s easy to drink alcohol and underestimate your limits. Consuming excess amounts of alcohol can leave you extremely vulnerable and could often leave you to the possibility of being spiked. This could be for a variety of reasons such as, theft, sexual assault or even as a joke.
Most date rape drugs take effect within 30 minutes and symptoms can last for hours or even a day later. Depending on the substance that was used, it’s important to know the symptoms which include:
- lowered inhibitions
- difficulty concentrating or speaking
- loss of balance and finding it hard to move
- visual problems, particularly blurred vision
- memory loss (amnesia) or “blackouts”
- feeling confused or disorientated, particularly after waking up (if you’ve been asleep)
- paranoia (a feeling of fear or distrust of others)
- hallucinations (seeing, hearing or touching things that aren’t there) or having an “out of body” experience
- nausea and vomiting
- unconsciousness
If you think you’ve been spiked, tell someone you completely trust. If you aren’t with anyone, call someone you can trust in a safe space. Arrange for a trusted friend or relative to stay with you until the drugs have fully left the system. Then report to the police as soon as you can!
To avoid being spiked, try drinking out of bottles, not leaving your drink unattended and covering your thumb over your bottle head when you’re not drinking. Also be extra careful whilst you’re in the smoking area, as you can often get caught off guard.
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No means no
If you end up meeting someone you like and things seem like things night ‘go further’, don’t be pressured to do anything that you don’t want to.
Being drunk doesn’t guarantee consent. Being passed out doesn’t guarantee consent. If you don’t want tea, don’t drink tea.
If you say no, make sure that you say it clearly and confidently. If any other issues occur then don’t hesitate to talk to a staff member and “Ask for Angela”.
REMEMBER to Ask for Angela!
If you’re on a night out and you feel unsafe or unwelcome, talk to a staff member and “Ask for Angela”. Bar staff will know that you need some help and will get you out if the situation, either calling you a taxi or can help you out discreetly.
Always call the police if the situation becomes threatening, hostile or cause for concern over your safety.
