REsPonsIBLE DRInkInG FEATURE

DON’T LOSE YOURSELF ON a NIGHT OUT

Drink spiking

This is placement of an often illegal substance into a drink, with the intention of causing harm to the drinker.Symptoms of drink-spiking depend on the substance added. Signs that someone’s drink has been spiked include disorientation, dizziness, hallucinations, nausea and vomiting. One drug that is commonly used is flunitrazepham, also known as Rohypnol or the ‘date rape’ drug. You can protect yourself against drinkspiking by drinking from a bottle or can because it’s harder to drop a drug into one than a glass. Also, never leave your drink unattended or accept a drink from someone you don’t know or trust. Be cautious when there is an unattended punch bowl at a party. If you experience symptoms of drink-spiking, ask a trusted friend or a responsible member of the establishment’s management for help and immediately seek medical attention.

Aggression

No one should have to endure unwanted aggression that may lead to abuse or violence.

The following are a few suggestions to think about before meeting up with your friends: • Plan your night out in advance. Think about where you are meeting. You are more likely to drink moderately if you meet at a restaurant to enjoy a drink with a meal than if you meet at a busy and noisy bar.

When out on the town, drink moderately so that you maintain control over yourself and stay observant of your surroundings at all times. Heavy drinking increases a woman’s risk of becoming a victim of sexual assault or other forms of violence. This is especially true in South Africa, where there is the shocking statistic of a woman being raped every four minutes.

Drinking alcohol has been a part of celebrations and social interaction around the world for thousands of years. But how much you choose to drink is a matter of individual judgement, and your sense of responsibility and accountability. Excessive consumption of alcohol on a night out leaves your judgement impaired, and you might unknowingly put yourself in a dangerous position. The best course is to make sure you don’t drink too much and avoid people you don’t know or trust. If someone is aggressive towards you, reply politely and walk away. When leaving an establishment at night, do not leave alone.

But there are a few things to know and some tips on how to avoid danger:

• Have a plan for the end of the night.

Carry numbers on your person for a reputable taxi company. Don’t get into unlicensed cabs. Another alternative is to have a designated driver, someone who you can depend on not to drink and drive. • Try to travel in groups. • Always carry a mobile phone.

Be sensible

Drink slowly and be sure you don’t drink on an empty stomach. You should have plenty of water between drinks to avoid dehydration. These are good ways to slow down the absorption of alcohol. Drinking too much in one sitting can lead to serious health and social problems and these include: • Absenteeism or poor performance at work or other commitments the following day • Alcohol poisoning • Accidents, including car accidents • Brain or neurological damage • Heart or cardiovascular problems

Don’t put yourself at risk

Alcohol is a depressant and it can affect your reason, judgement and coordination. It can also slow down your reaction time. This means that if you drink to excess, you’re putting yourself at risk. The results could be relatively minor. Perhaps you might not realise that your jokes aren’t going down too well or it might lead to serious risky behaviour, such as unprotected sex.

Don’t drink and drive

If you’re meeting friends for beers, always remember to think about how you’re going to get home again.

Because alcohol affects your judgement and reaction times, driving is out of the question. The physical and emotional trauma caused by drunk drivers is entirely preventable.

The message is simple: If you’ve been drinking, don’t drive! Use public transport, take a taxi or nominate someone to stay sober and drive you.

SExUaL OFFENCE STaTISTICS

The official crime statistics for 2012/2013, released on 20 September 2012, show that reported rape in South Africa decreased for the first time by 1.9%. But the new Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, No.32 of 2007, created a number of ‘new’ sexual offences other than ‘conventional’ rape.

According to the Institute for Security Studies this makes it impossible to compare the statistics on sexual offences before December 2007 with more recent figures because the new category called ‘total sexual crimes’ contains 59 separate offences ranging from sex-work related offences to rape.

However the relatively new crime category has decreased by 8.5% since it was first introduced in 2008/9, when 70 514 cases were recorded, until 2011/12 with 64 514 cases.

But the Institute for Security Studies expressed concerns that sexual offences suffer from low reporting rates and the crime statistics are thus not a good indication of the actual number of cases. The institute noted that from the previous statistics it was clear that the reduction in overall sexual offences was largely driven by a reduction in crimes that required police detection because no one reported them (e.g. sex-work) rather than those that required victims reporting them (e.g. rape or sexual abuse).

Last year, for the first time since 2005, the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, provided rape statistics. Rape has consistently increased since 2008/9, and while this may indicate higher levels of reporting, research conducted by the Medical Research Council over the past two years has shown that the levels of rape perpetration in South Africa are unusually high. In 2008/09 the police recorded 54 126 cases of rape, this increased to 55 097 in 2009/10 and increased again in 2010/11 to 56 272 (representing a 3% overall increase for this time period).