Wessex Scene Alcohol and Drugs Awareness Magazine

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS SUPPORT SERVICES 06

WHY DO WE PAY FOR ADAPTING TO MPS TO BE DRUNK ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AND DISORDERLY? LAWS IN DIFFERENT 14-15 COUNTRIES 30

E DITO R Ivan Morris Poxton editor@wessexscene.co.uk DE PU TY EDI TO R Zach Sharif deputy-editor@wessexscene.co.uk H E AD O F PRI NT DES I G N Rac hel Winter design@wessexscene.co.uk H E AD O F I MAGERY Avila D iana Chidum e image@wessexscene.co.uk H E AD O F MARKETI N G Joe Br io dy publicity@wessexscene.co.uk FEATURES EDITO R Linnea Lagerstedt features@wessexscene.co.uk OPINI O N EDI TO R Rachel Mather opinion@wessexscene.co.uk POL I TICS EDITO R Charlotte Colombo politics@wessexscene.co.uk SC IENCE & TECH ED I TO R Lau ra Nelso n science@wessexscene.co.uk LIFESTYL E EDI TO R Me gan Ha rt lifestyle@wessexscene.co.uk IN T ERNATIO NAL E D I TO R Tabassum Rahman international@wessexscene.co.uk T RAVEL EDI TO R TBA; Caretaker: Amy Picknell travel@wessexscene.co.uk SPORTS EDITO R Aarya ma n Baner ji sport@wessexscene.co.uk H E AD O F I NVESTIG ATI O N S Kat ja S to ut investigations@wessexscene.co.uk SUB- EDI TO R Am y Picknell SUB- EDI TO R An n abel Gadd SUB- EDI TO R Emily Fry

WELCOME EVERYONE! Life at and outside of university produces many social occasions where most, though not all, enjoy alcoholic refreshments. Meanwhile, the consumption of illegal under UK law drugs at university is also widespread - as evidenced anecdotally by the fact that I was offered cannabis on my very first day at Southampton.

Our incredibly talented team of writers and illustrators have written and produced content covering a variety of alcohol and drugs-related topics. These range from harrowing, but vital for our writers to share, personal experience stories, to recipes for alternative non-alcoholic drinks, to the process by which medical drugs are tested before public distribution. Hopefully, these will generate greater conversation and increased awareness around the role of alcohol and drugs in society and at university.

Also contained within this issue are some of the initial data set results from our investigative survey of University of Southampton students on their attitudes to and experiences of alcohol and drugs. I would like to express appreciation for the fantastic support and advice of relevant students’ union staff and sabbatical officers with this survey. The survey’s scope would not have been possible without their extensive support.

Keep your eyes peeled on our website in the immediate weeks following this magazine’s distribution for the full quantitative results. As can be seen by the initial data results detailed within this issue, a fascinating amount of detail has been produced as a result of the survey.

I hope you enjoy this magazine edition, Your editor,

IVAN MORRIS POXTON Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this magazine belong to each author alone - Wessex Scene is a neutral publication which aims to publish views from across the student body. To respond with an opposing opinion, please contact opinion@wessexscene.co.uk or join our Opinion Writers’ Group.

SUB- EDI TO R Hazel Jonckers VP DCI Evie Reilly vpcomms@soton.ac.uk

FRONT COVER IMAGE BY

SEAN KEAR 2

FEATURES WESSEX SCENE INVESTIGATIONS: 04 ALCOHOL & DRUGS STUDENT SURVEY INITIAL RESULTS ALCOHOL AND DRUGS SUPPORT 06 SERVICES

OPINION 10 DRINKING CULTURE IN THE UK 12 WHAT I LEARNT WORKING AT A BAR

EXPLORING THE REALITY OF 07 BRITAIN’S YOUTH BINGE DRINKING HABITS SEXUAL CONSENT AND ALCOHOL 08 AWARENESS: A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ALCOHOL IS NOT A FREE PASS 09

POLITICS WHY DO WE PAY FOR MPS TO BE 14 DRUNK AND DISORDERLY?

SCIENCE & TECH

MINIMUM ALCOHOL UNIT PRICING 16 VS TAXING ALCOHOL

18 FROM RESEARCH TO PRESCRIPTION: HOW NEW DRUGS BECOME APPROVED MEDICATIONS 20 INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY: THE SCIENCE BEHIND FESTIVAL DRUG TAKING

INTERNATIONAL 26 THE TRUTH BEHIND THE MEXICAN ECONOMY 27 THE MODERN DAY SCANDINAVIAN SNUFF: WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT ONLY LEGAL IN SWEDEN?

SPORT 33 BOOZY FOOTBALL: THE GOOD OLD DAYS?

LIFESTYLE FIVE DELICIOUS MOCKTAIL RECIPES 22 CANNABIS MARKETING: A COOL 24 LIFESTYLE? WHERE TO GO FOR DRINKS IN 25 PORTSWOOD

TRAVEL THE DANGERS & DILEMMAS OF 28 DRINKING ALCOHOL ABROAD ADAPTING TO ALCOHOL AND 30 DRUGS LAWS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

34 THE FAILURE OF BOXING TO PROPERLY ADDRESS ITS DRUGS PROBLEM

W ESSEX SCENE. CO . UK @ W ES S E XS CE NE ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

F B . C OM / W S C E N E @OF F IC IAL W E S S E X S C E N E 3

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

Wessex Scene Investigations:

Alcohol & Drugs Student As part of our special focus for this magazine on the theme of alcohol and drugs awareness, Wessex Scene initiated a survey into students’ attitudes to and experiences of alcohol and other drugs. This article details the trends illustrated by the survey’s initial results, from the survey’s launch on the evening of 11th October to the 19th October at 5:12pm, with 467 respondents answering questions.

CLEAR TRENDS IDENTIFIED:

HOW THE SURVEY WAS PUT TOGETHER:

The initial survey results, indicate that an overwhelming majority of the University of Southampton student population are opposed to cannabis being completely illegal. Responses in favour of complete legalisation of cannabis (233 respondents) and those in favour of legalisation purely for medicinal purposes (162), make up 85%* of all answers to our cannabis legalisation question, while only 9% of respondents said cannabis shouldn’t be legalised at all.

4

100

50

0

IDK

150

NO

200

YES- ONLY FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES

One question examined the correlation between students being ‘under the influence of alcohol or drugs’ and experiencing criminal, or just distressing in the case of ‘Losing valuables’, actions, such as ‘Drink spiked’. It should be made clear that this sought to identify the extent to which students had been exploited by others while ‘under the influence of alcohol or drugs’, not that they had somehow made themselves vulnerable - victim blaming is repugnant and emphatically rejected by Wessex Scene & SUSU. If the initial results are anything to go by, the survey’s full results will underline the high prevalence of criminal actions like sexual assault within the student community.

250

YES

One early decision made when setting up the survey was to not require respondents to provide their university email. While this would have been handled with complete confidentiality, it was felt that in view of the sensitive nature of many of the questions removing any possible worry for respondents of their anonymity being compromised was necessary.

Do You Believe Cannabis Should be Legalised in the UK?

Number of votes

The idea came at the beginning of the university year from Wessex Scene Editor Ivan Morris Poxton. While the investigation’s framework and most of the questions were devised by Wessex Scene’s Head of Investigations Katja Stout and the Editor, some of the questions were amended or added in via consultation with relevant SUSU members of staff and sabbatical officers. It should also be stressed that the survey’s creation and most of its methods of distribution wouldn’t have been possible without the fantastic support of relevant SUSU members of staff and sabbatical officers.

With students answering a minimum of 30 questions and a wait of 2-3 weeks for more responses to come in, what follows is a highlights reel of the most notable trends in these early results. A full online version containing all the quantitative survey results will be published within 3 weeks of this magazine’s distribution.

Intriguingly, our first data set shows a positive correlation between the number of alcohol units a week a student estimates to drink on average and likelihood to favour the complete legalisation of cannabis. Less than 35% of those who drank no units of alcohol on average each week agreed with the statement in relation to cannabis, ‘Yes - it should be legalised’. However, any respondent who said they ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

WORDS BY IVAN MORRIS POXTON GRAPHICS BY RACHEL WINTER

Survey Initial Results consumed 11 or more units of alcohol a week on average was more likely (50%+) than not to favour legalisation of cannabis.

Have You Ever Taken Study Drugs at University or Before?

NO

Y

ES

Finally, our initial data saw an overwhelming majority of respondents (81%, or 376) answer ‘Yes’ to the question ‘Do you feel that there is a culture of reckless/excessive drinking at university?’ [parts italicised as in survey].

The answers to this question are particularly interesting to consider, given that ‘reckless/excessive’ are subjective terms - in other words, open to individual interpretation of what is ‘reckless/excessive’. *All percentage figures rounded to nearest whole number.

Do You Think That There is a Culture of Reckless/Excessive Drinking at University?

IDK

NO

Cannabis also topped our poll of which drugs students had taken, far exceeding the ‘None of these’ total (27%, or 127), with 58% (268) of respondents saying they had taken cannabis at some point. However, of these, 46% (124) said they had taken it only ‘Once’ or ‘Rarely’. The other drugs which more than one fifth of the 467 respondents said they had taken were, in descending order, Painkillers, Ecstasy (MDMA), Cocaine and Ketamine. Meanwhile, 12% (56) of all respondents said they had taken study drugs ‘at University or before’. Of these, 68% (38) said they had taken the drug Modafinil, which tallies with NHS advice pages and BBC media reporting on its greater prevalence than all other study drugs.

Arguably, the clearest trend of all was how little students place high importance on ‘Punishing the user’ of drugs, when it comes to how we as a society manage drug consumption. With our ‘most important outcome to you’ question we required respondents to choose their most important out of 5 different policy priorities regarding drug use, including ‘Removing drugs from the streets’.

‘Punishing the user’ received a grand total of 3 votes (1%) of all responses. ‘Protecting the user’s health’ topped the same question with 46% (215 votes).

Which of the Following Study Drugs Have You Taken?

S

LL

RA

ER

RITALIN

DE AD

OTH

YE

IL

IN AF D O

M

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

5

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

Alcohol and Drugs Support Services

At university, it can feel like there’s a completely different set of standards that our actions are held to. I have particularly found this to be true regarding drugs and alcohol at university.

via drug use. Their website testimonials are really heartwarming and demonstrate the service they provide in Southampton.

For example, in few scenarios in life would it be acceptable to turn up consistently hungover to the first few weeks of a new job, as it is to lectures during freshers’. Sometimes, university normalises behaviour that isn’t necessarily healthy in the long run. For some, this can reach a point where they need to seek some help.

Talk to Frank is a website which provides comprehensive information and advice about drugs from a harm reduction standpoint. Information can be found here about a very wide range of drugs including their side effects, serious dangers and interactions with other medication. If you’re going to take drugs, regardless of whether you think you have a problem with them, it’s crucial to research and educate yourself on the potential risks. Talk to Frank is perfect for that.

I am not trying to tell people to avoid drinking or taking drugs - that’s pointless. Instead, I wanted to provide a list of just some of the local and national services available for people reading this thinking that you, or someone close, might have a troubled relationship with alcohol or drugs.

No Limits – 02380 224224; advice centre open Monday-Saturday at 13 High Street, Southampton, SO14 2DF.

A local organisation working specifically to help people under 25, providing support with everything from mental health to homelessness, No Limits have a specific drug and alcohol support service called DASH. As well as advice, support and counselling, DASH offers therapeutic groups with activities like cooking to help young people tackle substance abuse. DASH also operates a needle exchange for under 25’s to try to reduce the spread of blood-borne diseases and infections caused by reusing or sharing needles.

Change, Grow, Live – 02380 717171; The Carronades, 2 New Rd, Southampton SO14 0AA.

Another voluntary sector local organisation, Change, Grow, Live specialise in helping those affected by substance abuse, particularly young people and families.

Their website offers self-assessment forms for people who think they might have drug or alcohol problems, useful as a first step towards getting help.

Additionally, their website has a live chat feature alongside email, text and phone-line support, where you can ask more specific questions or seek help for substance abuse, including emergency help.

GP

If you think you have an unhealthy relationship with drugs or alcohol in particular, your GP should be your first point of call. They can advise or refer you to other services and make the NHS advice and support available. Your GP has to treat everything you say with strict confidentiality. You also never need to tell the receptionist what you’re making an appointment for, even if they ask.

Drinkline – 0300 1231110.

This is an alcohol-specific support line which is free and can provide you with guidance and support. Because it’s anonymous and over the phone, Drinkline could be a really accessible first step if you’re worried about your own relationship with alcohol or a friend’s.

It’s really important sometimes to take a step back and consider whether your relationship with drugs and alcohol is a healthy one. Given the pressure on students socially and academically, it’s unsurprising that many experience substance abuse. However, ALL of the services listed here are confidential, so you shouldn’t feel worried or ashamed about seeking support - the most important thing is looking after your health.

WORDS BY BETHANY SAUL IMAGE BY SEAN KEAR

Change, Grow, Live also provide advice on how to support friends and family who have substance problems and information on the types of diseases transmittable

Talk to Frank

6

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

Exploring the Reality of Britain’s Youth Binge Drinking Habits WORDS BY EMILY FRY IMAGE BY RACHEL WINTER A recent report published this year revealed that teenage drinking in this country has taken a drastic dip, with “teenage boozing” dropping quicker in the UK than anywhere else in Europe, indicating what is possibly thought to be a significant “cultural shift” among youths in the UK. The World Health Organisation (WHO) found that while 50.3% of teen males in England drank weekly in 2002, just 10% were found to drink as regularly as in 2014.

Interestingly, these stark findings appear not to be an anomaly, with young people receiving praise for being “way ahead” of older generations for being more conscientious about alcohol consumption. Indeed, a separate study by Sheffield University released in September this year found that the number of 11 to 15-year-olds who have ever had a full alcoholic drink fell from 61% in 2002, to 44% in 2016 across England. In fact, abstaining from alcohol is becoming a more mainstream habit across millennials, with another study finding that millennial levels of abstention have increased from 9% in 2015 to 17% just a decade later. Numerous research bodies across the public health sector have inferred that openly admitting to being a non-drinker has become more accepted, while behaviours such as heavy drinking is becoming less normalised.

outlined by the NHS, our young people are taking the right steps to lessen the chances of cancers of the throat, mouth and breast, strokes, heart and liver diseases, and damage to the nervous system, as well as mental health issues including depression and anxiety. Young people are ceasing to become the target of extensive criticism about their “risky” behaviour, and have instead emerged as society’s advocates for a more conscious and careful approach to consuming alcohol.

The UK’s youth are not the party animals and crazed drinkers that society has so often painted them to be.

Young people are leading by way of example: they are still able to go out, have fun, and enjoy themselves, but do so in a way that is not a danger to themselves or those around them. This is something that, perhaps, even the older generation can learn something from, while realising that our young people of the UK aren’t the irresponsible, reckless millennials they have often been branded as.

While this trend has warmly been accepted, with leading charitable organisations such as drug and alcohol organisation Addaction calling it ‘really positive news’, there is certainly widespread uncertainty as to what has specifically prompted this. For a long time, the reputability of young people for their drinking habits has been tarnished. Society has often used young people as a convenient scapegoat, demonising them for the menacing and prominent binge-drinking culture which they were the exclusive members of – or so society thought. Young people have featured time and time again across various national newspapers, with pieces of sensationalist journalism all but despairing at the hopeless generation of binge-drinking, rowdy party animals. Now, however, it would seem that young people across the UK are actually at the forefront of a movement that encourages mindful drinking.

It’s not to say that young people have completely abandoned alcohol altogether – although teetotalism is, again, rising among the UK’s youth – but it is unmistakable that young people are now willing to recognise their own limits and avoid drinking to excess. In doing so, young people also further avoid the risk of mental and physical health implications that come with this in the long-run.

By being more sensible in their drinking habits, and not exceeding the maximum 14 units a week guidelines ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

7

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

Sexual Consent and Alcohol Awareness:

A Personal Experience WORDS BY LAURA BARR IMAGE BY EMILY KILMARTIN

Trigger Warning: Talk of sexual assault and rape.

I’ll start off simple. It happened at a house party. It wasn’t violent or forceful, but it wasn’t consensual.

I’m not going to say ‘I got too drunk, and he raped me’, because it doesn’t matter that I was drunk - he took advantage of me being vulnerable and not fully conscious.

Here’s the thing about consent and alcohol, some view it as a blurred line, that you can have sex when somebody is drunk if they are saying yes. I said yes, initially, and then no when he took the condom off. He ignored this and then I wasn’t conscious; I couldn’t ‘say no more assertively’, or ‘push him off ’ as I was told I should have done after.

As time passed, memories came back. He tried to force his way, ignored me when I said no to taking the condom off and I remembered slipping in and out of consciousness. However, I still don’t fully remember it. I was too drunk. He should and must have known that I’d passed out.

Some people say things like ‘but if you don’t remember much, then how do you know you didn’t want it?’ If I was drunk, and someone came to rob my house, but I don’t remember it all, I was still robbed. He should have realised, stopped, and made sure I was conscious and able to consent, but he didn’t. How is that my fault?

My therapist asked me ‘if someone else, a stranger or a friend, had come up to you and said “I think I was raped, I was too drunk” what would you say?’ I’d tell them it doesn’t matter what state they were in - if you didn’t want it, weren’t in a position to consent, or even if you withdrew consent during, it’s not your fault.

Yet I couldn’t say that to myself.

8

I didn’t report my experience because I was scared. I was convinced by others I was just being dramatic, was too drunk and it was my fault. It was a very confusing experience, which messed with my head. I see the #whyididntreport hashtag and it both comforts and angers me that I wasn’t the only one too scared to report. Even now, I almost feel like I have to justify my experience.

All I can really say is, if ever unsure of somebody’s ability to consent, stop and ask. Be thoughtful and aware. If they can’t walk in a straight line, they can’t consent. If they are slurring their words and are obviously too drunk, they can’t consent. If they’ve literally passed out during sex, they’re not consenting. I don’t know if he did it deliberately, maliciously or just thoughtlessly. I just know it wasn’t right.

I use my experience to try to help others in any way I can, but it’s not really a pain that disappears. I guess I’m telling you all now in the hope that somebody else reads this and understands they aren’t alone, it wasn’t their fault. If any of this topic affects you, here are just some of support services you can reach out to: SUSU Harassment Tool - An online anonymous reporting tool to report incidents and have a choice to investigate.

The Enabling Services - Drop-ins every weekday in term time, 1-3pm in B37.

Student Life - A 24/7 team within University halls that can be called, or found via your hall’s reception.

First Support - A first number to call for urgent support: 02380 597 488.

Yellow Door, Southampton’s rape crisis charity: helplines are Wednesdays, 4pm-7pm, on: 02380 63 63 13.

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

Alcohol is Not a Free Pass:

Why It May Be Easier to Become a Statistic Than You Imagine Alcohol’s relationship to crime is well-known, with alcohol-related crime costing £11bn in the UK per year, according to the Home Office. This has meant many articles have been written advising people on how to avoid being the victim of alcohol-related crime. However, I am not going to do this. Instead, I want to emphasise that although university is a time to have fun on nights out, drunkenness is not a free pass to behave badly. If you do, you risk becoming part of those statistics, no matter how far from the stereotypical drunken criminal you see yourself as.

In December 2016 I returned home after my first term at university, immediately organising a night at the pub. The night ended as usual with a drunken walk to McDonald’s. Upon arrival, we discovered it had closed, to which in mock frustration I kicked the door, causing the glass to smash. At least that’s what I assume happened, as I personally don’t have many memories of the event until the moment I saw the police car pull up and I was arrested for criminal damage. Once at the station I was put in a police cell where I spent the next 15 hours.

Some of you may have woken up after a heavy night of drinking proclaiming you will never drink again. This is what I experienced the next morning, waking up in a freezing police cell. My day did not improve. I was photographed, gave a DNA sample and then taken back to the cell for a further 7 hours. Now completely sober, my mind raced with fear and panic asking myself the same questions: did I do this? What will happen? Will I have to leave uni?

Eventually my interview began - until this point I had been praying that when shown the evidence the whole thing would be revealed as a case of mistaken identity. However, to my shame the CCTV revealed I had caused the damage, proving my lack of memory rightly irrelevant. Once the interview had finished I was taken back to the prison cell, where for the next hour it

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

seemed I felt every negative emotion possible: guilt, fear, sadness. Yet, it also gave me time to reflect on how for too long I had used alcohol as a way to escape from difficult emotions. Eventually I was informed that the police had made the decision I would not be charged but would instead be given a caution - an alternative to prosecution when a criminal record is not appropriate, but will still be kept on file by the police.

Many will have no sympathy for the situation I found myself in. I agree, after all I was 19 years-old and had to take responsibility. Yet I would also ask how many of you have done something on a night out which in hindsight could have got you in trouble? If you have, it shows it may be easier to find yourself in a similar situation than you imagine.

Spending the day in a cell waiting to answer questions about an event I had no memory of will likely remain the worst day of my life, but how do I feel now? Although I still feel guilt for the incident itself, it did in hindsight have one benefit - it made me realise I was using alcohol as a way to self-medicate and I needed to get help.

Nearly two years on and after counselling, I now rarely drink and could not be happier. I am a healthier and better person. However, I haven’t written this to persuade everyone to be teetotal. If you are part of the majority of people who never do anything particularly out of character when drunk that’s brilliant, keep on enjoying yourselves. However, if you suspect you use alcohol to self-medicate or it changes your personality significantly, maybe consider cutting down. After all, just one out of character incident caused by alcohol can lead to scary situations, and fewer situations are scarier than Christmas in a prison cell.

WORDS BY ALEX GOURLEY

9

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

10

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

Drinking Culture in the UK

WORDS BY CHARLOTTE COLOMBO IMAGE BY RACHEL WINTER

What’s the most British thing after a cup of tea and talking about the weather? It’s the pub. Happy? Go down the pub. Sad? Go down the pub. Bored with nothing to do? You guessed it, go to the pub. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with unwinding after a long day or having a debrief with your friends in Spoons, but the extent to which bars, clubs and partying are ingrained in our culture should be a worry. Do we have an underlying dependence on alcohol?

The first thing I noticed when I came to university as a fresher was that alcohol wasn’t so much an addition to a social activity: it was the social activity. Night after night there would be bar crawls, club nights and parties advertised, all emphasising on how cheap you get the drinks. Why do people like cheap drinks on a night out? Obviously it’s easier on the wallet but it also means you can afford multiple drinks. When these posters and promoters advertise cheap booze it isn’t designed to be a bargain: it’s to encourage students to buy more and consequently drink more.

This is reinforced with the fact that these drinks aren’t only cheaper, they’re also packaged in ‘2 for 1’ deals giving you more alcohol for the same knock-down price. Take Sobar, for example. Every Tuesday they have a promotional event involving a deal on a £2 drink called a Quad-vod, which is four shots of vodka. Their main selling point is getting four times the amount of vodka (amongst the strongest types of alcohol) at cheap prices.

Of course, we can’t completely blame the businesses as they are only supplying the existing demand, but ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

what concerns me is the fact that they know the people they’re marketing towards must be 18 or 19 and have only just started to legally drink and go to clubs. This means that they aren’t as experienced as somebody in their mid-20’s – they’re not going to know their limits and somebody should be looking out for them and guiding them as opposed to making extreme amounts of alcohol so easily accessible.

This is why I find club promotion during Freshers to be irresponsible because they aren’t incorporating a ‘drink responsibly’ message or considering a student’s welfare: they just want to make sure they sell as many shots as possible.

However, what if you aren’t taken in by the adverts?

What if you don’t feel like drinking and would rather stay at home? With alcohol apparently around every corner at university, those who don’t want to drink will be the minority, going against this “norm” that is being constantly reinforced to students through advertisements and the media in general. We are continually being told through the films we watch and the music we listen to that we need to be drinking in a glamourous club to be having a good time.

As a direct result of this culture we have students feeling pressured into drinking not because they necessarily want to, but because they have to in order to fit in. The notion of “fitting in” is especially important to younger people and if we continue to let the media promote this message, we are doing them a disservice.

As we get older, reliance on alcohol becomes more long-term, ingrained and harder to break. Thus it is imperative that we start changing the drinking culture in university as a means to tackle the more harmful long-term issues.

11

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

WORDS BY MOLLY JOYCE IMAGE BY CHARLOTTE WILLCOX

What I Learnt

Like lots of other students, this summer I moved back in with my parents in my hometown. Whilst there, I worked full time to help pay my summer rent and (if I’m being honest) to stop myself from becoming bored. I had applied for multiple customer service and retail jobs before I saw an advertisement looking for bar staff at the local pub. I thought it was the perfect job as the pub was close by, the pay was good and my dad already met his friends for drinks there on a Friday so at least there would be one friendly face. Frankly, I was only expecting to earn some cash and possibly make a few work acquaintances.

However due to the heatwave, World Cup fever and all the different customers, I actually grew to love my summer job and had an eye opening experience into the pub world.

Extended Community:

Despite being in busy South London, the pub I worked at had a large crowd of regulars who came in at least a few times a week, some every day. Over the summer I got to know them all - their jobs, their interests and in the case of a few, their families. They all knew every staff member as well, not just our names but what we had studied at university, what we did on our days off and normally what days we were working. For many people, their local pub is not just 12

somewhere to go to have a drink or two to relax, but an extended community of people that care about them and support them. Some of the regulars were widowers, who enjoyed coming to the pub every evening because it meant that, instead of sitting inside on their own, they were surrounded by people who knew them and they could immerse themselves in the music and chatter. For other regulars who lived in a block of flats, the pub garden offered them and their families a safe place to socialise and enjoy the unexpected season of sunshine. Not only was I serving the customers drinks, I (along with the rest of the team) was providing them with an opportunity to talk through their work day, air their frustrations and celebrate their achievements. We were there for regulars on their good days and their bad days, on their birthdays and the anniversaries of loved ones who had passed away. Essentially, we became a support network.

Knowing Your Limits:

Luckily, most of the customers I served were lovely.

However, given the setting of this job I interacted with drunk people on a daily basis. Whilst most people came to meet their friends for a fun social occasion, for others the influence of booze meant they became confrontational and rude. Customers ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

BAR BAR

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

Working at a

who had previously been polite suddenly became physically and verbally aggressive towards both the bar staff and other customers. Being a 20-year-old female in a pub environment can be daunting enough at times, without having another person (who was normally bigger and older) shouting in your face and leaning across the bar. It reinforced to me that we all need to be aware of our tolerance for alcohol and stay within our limits. Whilst I’m sure those people woke up the next morning and blamed the drinks for their behaviour, that doesn’t take away the uncomfortable and scary situation they put others in.

Company and Support:

Working behind a bar means you inevitably end up overhearing some of the customer’s conversations.

I realised the familiar setting of a pub is an area that men feel comfortable to open up in. It is widely proven that females will lean on other females more when they need emotional support; however, boys/men largely find it difficult to open up to one another. The pub offers them the opportunity to meet each other for a drink and a catch up, creating a comfortable environment where they can reveal their struggles.

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

World Cup Fever:

I am not a football fan. I know nothing about football. Before working in a pub I didn’t really understand why you would be dedicated to one team. However, that all changed this summer when football fever contaminated the whole country.

Whilst England were bringing football home, I worked every England World Cup match. Although hesitant at first, I got swept up with the rest of the country, pouring more pints than I thought possible, painting England flags on my face and experiencing the highs and lows that all other football fans feel. I saw it bring together people of all different ages and genders and I finally understood how the World Cup made people forget about their mundane problems.

So bar work isn’t as bad as you’d expect. In fact, I’d say it taught me some valuable lessons about the necessity of community, the importance of the local pub in a lot of people’s lives and the pure joy that can come from a friendly, united atmosphere. You could spend your summer sprawled on a sun lounger watching the days go by, but if my experience is anything to go by, working can be so much more rewarding.

13

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

14

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

Why Do We Pay for MPs to Be

Drunk and Disorderly?

WORDS BY CHARLOTTE COLOMBO IMAGE BY ALIVIA OSBORN For nearly ten years, the public has been outraged at the decadent spending of MPs on bar tariffs, snuff boxes and rowdy gatherings. Beyond the worry that those displaying this irresponsible behaviour make big decisions for our country, there’s also the fact that we’re expected to pay for it. Why is this acceptable?

Taxation in most cases is something I can support.

Paying a certain amount of money each month to ensure everyone has access to free healthcare and to enable those in poverty to survive whilst they try to get back on their feet seems entirely fair to me. To an extent, I suppose it’s also reasonable that some of our taxes go into the running of the government and its various employees. Something I cannot get behind, however, is the MP subsidy for bars.

A 2013 survey by charity Alcohol Concern reported that 26% of the MPs surveyed felt that Parliament had an ‘unhealthy drinking culture’. That same year, MP Eric Joyce was arrested over an alcohol-fuelled fight and banned from buying alcoholic drinks in Parliament establishments. However, 5 years on, has anything been done to tackle this issue? I would argue that the situation hasn’t got any better. If anything, it has deteriorated.

A 2017 investigation by The Sun found that 11 canteens, pubs and restaurants in the House of Commons all sold alcoholic beverages at notoriously cheap prices.

According to this investigation, the vast majority of drinks were under £3. Yet, that same year, minimum unit pricing became legal in Scotland and Wales because presumably the more expensive alcohol is, the less likely one is to binge drink. A similar provision for England received royal assent in August this year.

bars. Why don’t they practice what they preach? If they truly believed in what they were voting for surely they would be against such cheap drinks in their own private bars. Do they think that due to their position the rules for us normal folk don’t apply to them? Surely they must do, since they are also permitted to bring their non-politician friends along to these places whilst expecting taxpayers to foot the bill.

All the while, the rowdy behaviour that was flagged up in 2013 shows no signs of slowing down. A former House of Lords bar manager accused up to 30 MPs of drunken sexual harassment in 2017, as she described how many would ‘booze all day’ and then make unwelcome advances towards her, assuming she wouldn’t mind because ‘they are very important people’. Less than a month later, the notorious Sports and Social Bar was temporarily closed down due to a ‘glassing’ incident.

In 2017, the MPs ran up a bill of £2.7 million in their private bars. This cost was an 8% increase on the previous year for taxpayers and, if recent events are anything to go by, 2018 isn’t looking too optimistic. A source told The Sunday Times that cleaners are made to tidy up after MP’s partying lifestyles, with vomit and used condoms being a common find in their private offices.

‘It’s the type of behaviour you would expect from students enjoying freshers’ week, not MPs and their staff ’, the source said.

The only thing more worrying than the expectation of us to pay for this is the fact that these are the people running our country.

It baffles me that MPs voted for this law whilst continuing to enjoy dangerously cheap drinks in their own private ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

15

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

Minimum Alcoh HHHHvs Taxing WORDS BY JORDAN SCOTT IMAGES BY ANG MINGXUAN Although no student will ever admit it, alcohol might be too cheap. As the nation’s alcohol problem spirals out of control, we take a look at two potential remedies: alcohol taxation and minimum unit pricing.

When it comes to alcohol, there is no connoisseur quite like us students. Other adults may rave about floral tones and hints of citrus, but our tastes are for something different: value. We can sniff out an own-brand vodka, or a jug of cider the same price as a restaurant glass of mediocre wine, like a bloodhound sniffs out… well, blood presumably.

Though our dwindling bank balances may disagree, the argument has long been made that some drinks are simply too cheap for our own good, and should be made more expensive to reduce excessive alcohol consumption. There are two main ways for the government to do this. Increase alcohol taxation (AT), or adopt minimum unit pricing (MUP). So which one is best?

Let’s look at AT first. We already have an alcohol duty in the UK, which applies to all purchases. Unfortunately, the current system is a complicated mess. A litre of 7.5% beer will be taxed at over three times the amount as a litre of 7.5% cider. Much of this is due to pesky EU legislation we’ve all been hearing far too much about recently.

Reforming AT (e.g. to bring cider in line with beer, and raise tax on high-strength spirits) could affect excess consumption similarly to MUP. The big benefit of using tax reform, however, is that all the lovely money goes back to us. Well, the government, anyway. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicts alcohol duty will raise £11.6bn in 2018/2019, so AT could be lucrative if executed well. Given that one of the problems with excess alcohol consumption is the cost to the NHS and other public services, increasing alcohol duty could bring a vital 16

cash boost to help ease their troubles. It’s rather a nice thought knowing that, as you fumble your card from your wallet to pay for that twelfth ill-advised jägerbomb, you’ve done a little bit more to ease the burden on the hospital you’ll shortly be attending (please drink responsibly).

As good as that sounds, AT has two main problems.

Firstly, it’s difficult to implement. Reforming our alcohol duty would involve a lot of work for the government, and getting it right could be tricky. As a member of the EU, we may also not be able to make these reforms unless they were EU-wide. This creates a bureaucratic barrier to change and means that the government would have to try and drum up support among other EU nations. Of course, assuming Brexit goes ahead, this may soon change. The second problem with more taxation is that it will increase the prices of drinks that aren’t cheap to start with. This includes both more expensive items in shops, as well as drinks in pubs and bars. This could make it a particularly unpopular move as, while there is some public support for strong and cheap alcohol being priced up, most people do not want to see the prices rise in their local pub. This is not to mention how unpopular the policy would be with businesses.

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

hol Unit Pricing Alcohol What about the alternative? MUP has two notable strengths over taxation. Firstly, the narrower focus would target the most problematic drinks. Our cherished ownbrand spirits and high percentage ciders would go up in price, while more expensive drinks and those sold in bars will be largely unaffected, and remain as they are. This then especially helps to target problem drinkers who binge on the cheap stuff. The second benefit is its relative efficiency.

It takes far less work on behalf of the government to implement, compared to the complex reforms needed to improve alcohol duty. It is mainly a case of setting the regulations and letting the businesses adjust their prices to comply with them.

The biggest downside to MUP, however, is the lack of financial benefit. Any extra revenue generated goes straight to businesses. The only money we’d see would be from the higher priced drinks having greater VAT. This lack of benefit puts it at a disadvantage compared to AT. Another problem is that MUP could be accused

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

of unfairly targeting low-income drinkers. Those on low incomes purchase far more of the cheap, strong alcohol that would be affected than higher earners do. While it may reduce consumption among them, it could also have the unwanted effect of reducing living standards as they’ll spend a greater proportion of their income on alcohol.

Of course, it’s worth noting that increasing alcohol duty would have a similar effect, only affecting more people.

In conclusion, both measures could be similarly effective at reducing excess consumption. However, AT seems the best option as the extra revenue can be put back into the public services. Unfortunately, it is a solution that requires an efficient, ambitious, and patient government to implement it. I’ll leave you to decide if you think this one qualifies - perhaps the post-Brexit climate will make it easier to achieve, but perhaps not. In the meantime, however, it may be better to aim for the more realistic, if arguably worse, solution of minimum unit pricing.

17

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FROM RESEARCH TO PRESCRIPTION:

HOW NEW DRUGS BECOME APPROVED MEDICATIONS Before medications are made available for public use, they are required to undergo a rigorous development, testing, and approval process. These strict regulations were put in place largely due to the controversial use of thalidomide that began in the late 1950s.

All medications originate from lab research, through identifying which proteins or genes are causing a specific disease. This provides an understanding of how the disease or condition manifests. Experiments are conducted to find which compounds are able to act on the disease-causing protein or gene, and inhibit its effects on the body. Before a drug is considered for human trials, it has to undergo 18

pre-clinical testing, which involves testing it on stem cells or animals. This is necessary to assess the safety and efficacy of a drug.

There are then four phases of clinical trials that are conducted on humans. Phase I involves testing the drug on a small group of 20-100 healthy volunteers. During this phase, a range of doses are administered in order to calculate the maximum tolerable dose, while side effects are closely monitored. This stage largely assesses whether the drug can be deemed safe for widespread human use.

Phase II trials test a drug on 100-500 patients that have the disease. Patients have the medication delivered to ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

them in a variety of ways, including tablets, solutions and injections, to find the optimal method of administration.

These trials are often double blind, with neither the patient nor the researcher being aware of whether the actual drug or a placebo is being administered.

Once a drug has entered Phase III, it is tested on a much larger scale, typically on 1,000-5,000 patients with the disease. Again, a drug is compared against other treatments or a placebo in a double blind manner. This large-scale comparison allows for a risk-benefit analysis of the medication to assess whether it is a better alternative to pre-existing options.

The results of the clinical trial are then submitted to regulatory agencies, such as the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA). If approval is granted, the medication will then become available for patient use.

Whether a drug becomes widely available on the NHS is at the discretion of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Monitoring the safety of a drug does not stop postapproval. Phase IV clinical trials are longitudinal in nature, and provide further information about the side effects, long term risks, and effectiveness of the drug across the wider population.

The MHRA is responsible for the protection of public health, through approving medications for marketing and conducting ongoing risk-benefit analyses of available medications. They have also developed the Yellow Card Scheme which enables individuals to report adverse side effects, defective medicines, and other safety concerns when taking medications.

Use of the drug led to the birth of over 10,000 babies with severe birth defects, the most prevalent being poorly developed limbs, a condition known as phocomelia.

Other birth defects attributed to the use of thalidomide included congenital heart disease, nerve paralysis, and malformation of the eyes and ears. It is unknown how many children were affected by thalidomide, as many pregnancies resulted in miscarriages or stillborn births.

Thalidomide was withdrawn from use in the UK in 1961. The catastrophic consequences of its use led to the Medicines Act 1968, with the Committee on Safety of Medicines being established just two years later.

Investigations into the incident brought a number of issues to attention. The drug was prescribed under the belief that it was safe for human use. However, no tests were performed to analyse the effects in pregnant woman and foetuses. Research had only been conducted on rodents, in which no fatal dose of thalidomide was established. In fact, research performed after the thalidomide scandal revealed that high doses of the drug had little effect on the foetuses of pregnant rodents. This highlighted the importance of human testing, as a substance can cause different effects across different species.

Our current understanding of thalidomide also tells us that it exists in two optical configurations. One configuration is not harmful and reduces the symptoms of morning sickness, while the other interferes with foetal development. Within the body, the two configurations can interconvert, meaning that even if a pure dose of the harmless configuration were to be administered, both will ultimately be present in the body.

Today, thalidomide is still prescribed as a treatment for leprosy and myeloma. However, its use is tightly regulated in order to avoid history from repeating itself.

THE THALIDOMIDE SCANDAL The testing and approval of medications has not always been strictly regulated. The biggest factor contributing to the management of medicine today is the well-known thalidomide scandal, a primary example of where medicine went wrong.

WORDS BY HANNAH TAYLOR IMAGE BY EMILY BEASLEY

Thalidomide was developed by Chemie-Grünenthal, a Germa­­ n pharmaceutical company, and was initially marketed as a sleeping pill due to its sedative properties.

However, it was soon discovered to also provide relief against the symptoms of morning sickness in pregnant women.

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

19

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY:

The Science Behind Festival Drug Testing WORDS BY JACK NASH IMAGE BY EMILY BEASLEY In a 2018 published study conducted in Australia, it was claimed that approximately 75% of festival goers take some form of recreational drug. Following several drug-related deaths at UK festivals over the summer, more festivals, such as Bestival, are looking at employing MAST (Multi-Agency Safety Testing).

MAST testing was developed by The Loop, a non-profit organisation. It allows the consumer to decide whether to use the substance they’ve purchased by providing information on the concentration of the main substituent within the drug sample, as well as what other substances are present. For example, testers have found drug samples which are four times stronger than usual, as well as those which have been cut with harmful substances, such as plaster and other drugs, like N-ethyl Pentylone. This is commonly found in drugs containing MDMA and causes psychosis and insomnia. Festival goers can check their drugs by simply submitting a small sample to be analysed using spectroscopic techniques. Results can be obtained and relayed back to a festival goer quite swiftly. They can then make an informed choice as to their use of the drug without any risk of legal action, as The Loop works with local police forces to ensure the potential drug user’s anonymity.

functional groups and there may be overlap in peaks, potentially interfering with coherent reading of the results.

IR spectroscopy also cannot be used to estimate drug concentration. As it only gives information on other substances present in the drug. To estimate concentration, another testing method is used. The sample is weighed, crushed and dissolved in methanol. Any inactive substances, such as cutting agents and dyes, remain solid while the active drug dissolves. The sample is then filtered so that only the solution remains, and a concentration can be estimated by reweighing the sample afterwards. This is a very low-tech but reliable method.

No spectroscopic method can provide all the data.

However, increased application can increase the test’s reliability to predict a sample’s various properties. A notable lab technique is Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, which uses data from the interaction of the nuclei of an atom within the molecule with a magnetic field to form specific signals. Using these signals, a likely structure can be suggested, and confirmed using IR spectroscopy.

The current issue with using NMR for festival drug testing is that the machinery for it is too large to transport.

Festival drug testing isn’t perfect, but the work that The Loop carries out may be viewed as a welcome addition to a more informed approach to festival drug use.

The Loop uses Infrared (IR) spectroscopy to view a drug’s ‘chemical fingerprint’. The idea behind IR spectroscopy is that different wavelengths of light are absorbed by specific atom groups which have varying properties within a molecule. Different functional groups absorb different wavelengths of light, so by passing wavelengths of light through a sample, a detector can register how much light is being absorbed by the molecule.

The absence of light at a particular wavelength identified by the detector results in a signal which can be visualised on an IR spectrum. The light absorption allows cross-referencing with where the peaks should be, comparing the analysed sample to a pure sample, allowing for unexpected peaks to be investigated further. This process can be done in minutes, and the device used to gain these results is the size of a briefcase, making it ideal for festival testing.

However, IR spectroscopy has its limitations. It’s only useful if the drug’s spectrum is already held within a database, and for some newer drugs the spectra are unknown. Meanwhile, spectrum peaks may correspond to multiple different

20

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FIVE DELICIOUS There’s no denying that if there’s one drink that’s just as good without alcohol, it’s a cocktail. In fact, the problem with cocktails is that they are just too delicious and easy to drink, so knowing a few recipes for non-alcoholic versions is definitely a good thing!

Whether you’re teetotal, doing sober October/dry January, or have too much work to deal with tomorrow meaning that an alcohol-induced slow start to the day simply isn’t an option, these recipes are for you! Additionally, it will also potentially save you money if you are nearing the end of term.

Mango Mule If you’re a fan of ginger beer, you will love this mocktail.

The cucumber and lime combination makes it very refreshing - a perfect beverage to bring out in the summer!

Ingredients: - 5 slices of cucumber - 30ml of honey syrup - 45ml of mango puree - 45ml of ginger beer - 45ml of fresh lime juice

Raspberry Faux jito

Add the cucumber and honey syrup to a cocktail shaker and use the back of a spoon to mash the cucumber. Then add the mango puree and lime juice. Once you’ve done this, give it all a good shake. Add ice and then shake again, before straining the contents of the shaker into a glass and topping it up with ginger beer.

The mojito is a classic cocktail, made even yummier with the addition of raspberries. This take on a virgin mojito is absolutely delicious and perfect for those with a sweet tooth.

Ro semary and Blueberry Smash

Cocktails are not only fun to drink, they are also fun to make! Here are some delicious recipes for you to try, all to serve 1 person, so simply adjust the measurements accordingly:

Ingredients: - 6 raspberries - 6 mint leaves - 1/2 cup of granulated sugar dissolved over a medium hheat into 1/2 cup of water to make a syrup - 1/4 cup of raspberry juice - 2 tbsp of fresh lime juice - 1/2 cup of soda water.

Simply add raspberries, the mint leaves and the syrup into a tall glass, then squish it all together with the back of a spoon. Then, fill the glass with ice, and add the raspberry juice, the lime juice and top it up with the soda water.

Finish by garnishing with a wedge of lime and a couple of raspberries.

22

My favourite of the mocktails - this recipe is amazing for any time of year!

Ingredients: - 8 blueberries - 1 rosemary sprig, stripped - 30ml of honey syrup - 30ml of fresh lemon juice - Sparkling water In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, squish together the blueberries, honey syrup and rosemary leaves. Then add the lemon juice and ice and shake. Strain through a mesh strainer into a tall glass of fresh ice and top with sparkling water.

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

MOCKTAIL RECIPES Pineapple Cobbler This is a really good one to take if you’re going to predrinks but you’re not drinking alcohol, because it has so few ingredients.

WORDS BY MEGAN HART IMAGES BY NADINE PFAFF

Ingredients: - 30ml of strawberry juice - 15ml of lime juice - 90ml of pineapple juice - Soda water to top up glass Add all ingredients to a glass and stir well, then top with ice.

Cucumber Grape This final recipe requires a bit more effort than the previous one but it is definitely worth it, particularly if you are having a mocktail making night!

Ingredients: - 75ml of red grape puree (simply use a blender to puree hred grapes) - 1 cucumber water (peel and dice one cucumber and hblend with 2 cups of water) - 7.5ml of lemon juice - 15ml of simple syrup (just equal parts sugar and water, hdissolve the sugar in the water over a medium heat) For this mocktail, you will need to add all the ingredients minus the ice into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.

Then take a tall glass and fill it with ice. Fill the bottom quarter of the glass with soda water, then add the juice mixture, and fill to the top with more soda water.

So there you have it, 5 delicious non-alcoholic cocktail recipes. The binge drinking culture that’s so prevalent at university can be incredibly dangerous to our health.

According to the NHS, regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week can increase your risk of developing illnesses including cancers, strokes, liver disease and heart disease.

However, what’s more likely to affect students in the short term is risk of injury or getting yourself into an unsafe situation when you’re drunk. Of course, drinking can be a lot of fun at university, so long as you’re doing so responsibly, and your friends are too.

If you do fancy making the mocktails in these recipes alcoholic, by all means add a shot of whatever takes your fancy. Just make sure it isn’t excessive!

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

23

WORDS BY ZACH SHARIF IMAGE BY HELENA HENRY

Cannabis Marketing: A Cool Lifestyle?

Cannabis, now legalised in many countries and widely available to purchase, has attached to it its own distinctive lifestyle. Since its legalisation in many US states, YouTube has particularly become host to many a cool cannabis vlogger. All this raises the question of what kind of lifestyle we want for the drug of cannabis - if it is to be legalised. Do we restrict it in the way we have tobacco and alcohol, or do we let it run free, and embrace its relaxed perception?

Of course, much of this is speculation, but many big brands are already asking these questions. How do we market this new product? Who do we want to buy it? You can see why there’s a rush too. Arcview Market Research, a leading authority on the cannabis industry, estimates worldwide spending on legal cannabis will hit $57 billion by 2027. Recruiting firms have already placed marketing executives at cannabis companies from giants such as Coca-Cola and Krafts.

Amanda Guerrero is the business development manager at Vangst. She gives an insight into just what makes the new product of cannabis so appealing to hopeful marketers, and as to what lifestyle these marketers will want to push.

According to her, ‘Cannabis is sexy, cannabis is cool’. ‘Marketers are attracted to the space because they have the opportunity to market to a more open-minded, neutral audience.’

Are these, then, the two cornerstones of the new cannabis lifestyle, being ‘openminded’ and ‘neutral’? The fact that these terms are used to describe people who want to buy this drug, still illegal in most countries, is likely to reflect public opinion. The strength of this public opinion is made more clear by marketing tactics. Many cannabis companies are turning to social media “influencers” to promote their brand, though there are some who do not wish to promote such brands.

The CEO and Founder of influencer agency Heartbeat, Brian Freeman, commented that ‘There’s a lot of confusion that’s blocking influencers from getting on board’. ‘They are scared of legal ramifications, and they don’t want YouTube to shut them down.’ There are certainly legal frameworks to navigate.

Currently, Facebook, Snapchat and Google don’t allow cannabis advertising.

Snapchat will consider products derived from cannabis on a case-by-case basis, but that’s all. Earlier this year, YouTube systematically shut down many cannabis-centred channels, regardless of how popular they were, leaving many wondering what changed their rules of content and why.

Many influencers, scared by this and the potential reaction to those not supportive of a “cannabis lifestyle”, currently don’t wish to promote these products. ‘I don’t care about skipping out on some money if it means saving my account’, said one anonymous influencer with nearly 200,000 followers.

Another said, ‘My followers are just not ready to support these kinds of products yet’. However, whole agencies are evidently supportive of this lifestyle, and Mr Freeman explains just why they are: ‘There’s this emerging culture around the recreational use of marijuana from the greater consumer base’. He continued by explaining that ‘It’s changing the look and the perception of who the marijuana buyer is.’

It seems then, that as more people consume cannabis, marketers are keen to adapt to their lifestyles. The drug is not just becoming legal in many US states, it has proven popular in many circles and, ultimately, shows no signs of losing this public favourability.

24

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

WORDS BY MOLLY JOYCE IMAGE BY CHARLOTTE WILLCOX

Where To Go For Drinks in PORTSWOOD

So you’ve decided to meet up with your friends for some drinks and a catch up and want to know where all the best spots for students are in Portswood. Well, look no further - we’ve investigated the best places for you!

The Bridge Whilst Stag’s is great for karaoke and watching sports games, The Bridge has a more relaxed feel to it and is perfect for catching up with friends. Open till 11pm and conveniently located right in the middle of campus, it’s great for a chilled evening after a busy day of lectures.

They’ve just launched a new cocktail menu this year, where you can get two cocktails for £5.95 - so genuinely, you can’t go wrong.

Wild Lime With 2 for 1 cocktails every evening, it’s great for a drinks night with friends that won’t cost you your whole weekly budget. The cocktails are tasty, but not necessarily the best quality - however, the price more than makes up for that! The bar itself is always lively and has pool tables, as well as showing all big sports games and matches. Whilst I wouldn’t really recommend it for a quiet drink with a close friend due to being pretty loud, it’s the perfect place for a big group outing.

Crafty Fox The newest of the bars in this article, the Crafty Fox only opened up in September this year. It’s located in the premises of the old Costa Coffee, yet you’d never know due to the complete change of interior.

With exposed brick work and lighting, it’s similar to the pop-up bars that took over in South London a few summers ago. It’s definitely what would be described as “hipster”, but the staff are really friendly and helpful. They have a wide variety of craft beer/ale/cider on taps that also serve as part of the decoration. I’m not a massive fan of beer, but my friends who are have told me that they’ve got a great selection that’s reasonably priced at between £4-6 a pint. If you don’t fancy drinking, the coffee is also amazing!

Trago Lounge Always a popular spot for students, Trago Lounge is perfect both when it’s sunny and raining due to their great garden and intimate indoor atmosphere, thanks to their tea lights and pillows. They’ve got a great cocktail menu, with classics like Aperol Spritz and Espresso Martini’s, as well as unique cocktails such as the Cherry Bakewell (my personal favourite). Priced around £7 a cocktail, it’s slightly more expensive than the others, but with that you do get a better quality and a cocktail that’s definitely Instagram story worthy - do it for the ‘gram.

The Hobbit If you’re into Lord of the Rings, then The Hobbit is certainly the place for you as every cocktail is named after a different LOTR character.

The cocktails are really nice and even if you’re not a fantasy fan, The Hobbit is still worth the visit as the decor is interesting and cosy. On Wednesdays they offer half-price cocktails and if you’re feeling brave enough and manage to try all the cocktails (although not in one night!), you will have completed the Fellowship Quest!

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

25

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

The Truth Behind the Mexican Economy

It is no hidden fact that much of Central and Latin American is financially supported by drug trading, but no country experiences this phenomenon the same as Mexico does. As a rough estimate, according to Reuters, in 2009 the Mexican economy probably gained more from exporting drugs than it did oil, which is considered to be their strongest good on the foreign market.

Furthermore, despite its highly illegal nature it is no secret that Mexico contains the five strongest cartels in the world: the Guadalajara Cartel which eventually split to become the Sinaloa and the Tijuana Cartel respectively, the Juárez Cartel, and the Gulf Cartel. Prior to its split, the Guadalajara Cartel was the first cartel to privatise the Mexican drug trade through their use of using less significant drug bosses to trade cocaine with Colombia.

where there is the highest percentage of drug-related homicides. On the other hand, even where cartels have operated “peacefully” there have been no visible benefits to the poverty-stricken areas both in employment and in socioeconomic progress.

Therefore, although drug trafficking has boosted Mexican economic trade, it has not been to the benefit of society. This is especially reinforced by the number of people unjustly murdered or involved in a life of crime and simultaneously has had negative effects on a wide variety of countries around the world.

WORDS BY STEFANIA ZENIOU IMAGE BY JUSTINE VINUYA

Currently, Sinaloa is the biggest drug cartel, led for much of its existence by Joaquin Guzman Loera, “El Chapo”.

He is regarded as one of the most powerful drug lords the world has ever seen, was estimated by Forbes in 2013 to have a net worth of $1bn and is currently on trial in New York.

In the past, the Tijuana Cartel, the other half of the former Guadalajara Cartel, was also considered to be one of the strongest and most violent criminal organisations in Central America.

Likewise, despite the fact that they are not as prominent in Mexico, the Gulf Cartel has gained its status as one of the oldest organised criminal groups in the country.

It has diversified by entering the international criminal network and also becoming involved in assassinations and kidnappings worldwide. However, they have lost their powers after clashing with a private army, Loz Zetas, which in 2010 resulted in thousands of deaths, several ghost towns, and many leaders becoming arrested.

Despite the negative connotations associated with drug cartels, they arguably seem to have provided a significant boost in the Mexican economy and the local communities.

This can be attributed to the fact that they are regarded as one of the most profitable illegal trade schemes in the world and according to a study published in the Journal of Economic Geography, in 2010 they operated in 40% of all local municipalities. Additionally, the RAND Corporation has estimated that Mexican drug cartels bring in over $6.6bn in trade through the US alone and Reuters also suggest that Mexican drug cartels bring in overall from their global operations an estimated $25bn-$40bn every year.

Furthermore, even though being involved in drug cartels has many risks such as imprisonment and violent deaths, many local citizens have used employment in these organisations as a way to escape poverty and support their families.

Nevertheless, as can be expected, engaging with drug cartels is not always it’s cracked up to be. Official Mexican goverment figures state that since 2006 there have been over 200,000 killings related to drug violence in Mexico and it is increasing drastically with 29,168 homicides in 2017 alone.

It can also be difficult for areas to develop when they are plagued by conflict and violence. This can be seen by the fact that the most undeveloped areas are in the north of Mexico

26

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

THE MODERN DAY SCANDINAVIAN SNUFF: What is it and Why is it Only Legal in Sweden?

WORDS BY LINNEA LAGERSTEDT IMAGE BY SARAH WILLCOCKS When most people hear the word snuff they think of 17thcentury Britons sniffing a specific type of tobacco which really is not in common use in this day and age. However, snus, a type of nicotine patch which is inserted under one’s upper lip is derived from the same snuff tobacco that was common many moons ago. According to the EU, all types of tobacco for oral use which are not chewed or smoked are illegal, and snus falls under this category. Yet, it is still commonplace throughout Scandinavia, with Sweden the only country that does not have to abide by this EU law.

The snuff most British people will be aware of was also commonly in use throughout Scandinavia in the 1600s.

However, it was mainly associated with people of the higher classes, and Sweden did not start producing its own snuff until the end of the 18th century. Closely after this in the early 1800s, the wet, lip-snuff, now known as snus, was introduced as an alternative to the expensive nose-snuff and chewing tobacco. Snus has been extremely common

in Scandinavian culture since then, and if anything, is now more associated with the working class. You can buy it either loose or in prepackaged dose-patches and much like with cigarettes, you have to be 18 years or older to buy the product. You will oftentimes find Swedes walking around with a worn-out ring in the back pocket of their jeans from their boxes of snus.

Despite production and selling being legal solely in Sweden, to ‘snusa’ is common throughout Scandinavia, especially in Denmark as it is often taken across the borders. When it comes to taking the nicotine in and out of countries the laws are fussy, but as long as one does not aim to re-sell copious amounts once past the border, police are not very strict on its movement.

Personally, I took two boxes with me after Easter this year, unaware of the previously mentioned EU law, and had no issues storing it in my carry-on bag. Nevertheless, this is not a practice I’d recommend and I only took it with me because I had friends in the UK who wanted to try this Swedish speciality.

Since snuff is so outdated one might ask why this modern type is still prevalent and sought after. Well, firstly, much like cigarettes, a lot of older generations started through peer pressure and then got addicted to the nicotine. Nowadays, however, it is most common in two other ways. Either people will take up snus as an alternative to smoking as it provides the same amount of nicotine but without the lung damage, and some medical professionals do recommend this method over traditional cigarettes. Or many young people will ‘snusa’ when they are drunk, as the nicotine gives you a rush, making you feel more intoxicated. This is similar to how some people socially or party-smoke. However, while snus may be better for your lungs than cigarettes, it is still far from healthy.

Nicotine is widely known to be bad for the body, and like cigarettes, snus also contains dangerous metals and has therefore been linked to certain types of cancer. Furthermore, constant usage of the product can lead to severe damage to your upper lip as substances in the product corrode the skin in order for the nicotine to quickly get into the bloodstream.

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

27

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

The Dangers &

Drinking Alco Summer is over. The days of rest and relaxation are behind us.

Life goes back to normal. As we approach what will probably be a long dark winter of chills and endless cups of hot chocolate, I find myself wistfully reminiscing about the poolside cocktails I greedily guzzled on my vacation.

Whether it’s a beer at the beachside bar, a cocktail on the coast of Croatia or a classic English Pimm’s enjoyed over the Wimbledon season, it’s fair to say most of us overindulge on the alcohol when we are on holiday. And why not? We spend the majority of our days working or studying for often ridiculous hours, so a holiday is always a great excuse to release our anxieties and de-stress with a daiquiri.

However, when it comes to delighting in drinks abroad there are a few things that potentially tipsy travellers should take into account. Whilst it may be normal to knock back endless sambuca shots in the UK, other countries have strict laws that prohibit or radically restrict the sale, consumption and 28

production of alcohol. The consequences of breaking these local customs can be extremely severe, so it’s time we all informed ourselves about the dangers of drinking abroad.

Firstly, we need to highlight which countries implement alcoholic bans and to what extent the laws are imposed.

Take nations like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Sudan, and areas of the UAE, for example. These countries are amongst the most strident in their policies, as they have made it illegal to produce, import or consume alcohol. Most have done this for religious reasons, with Muslim nations citing teachings in the Quran that prohibit alcohol. As tourists, it is our responsibility to abide by these customs and embrace the culture that we find ourselves in.

Furthermore, attempts to sideline these laws can have heavy consequences, such as imprisonment (think years not days) and public flogging. Indeed, in some cases foreigners have been known to receive up to 500 lashings for trading and consuming alcohol against the wishes of the Saudi Arabian government.

Whether you are motivated by the moral reasons of respecting cultural and religious sovereignty or by the fear of the consequences, it is imperative that visitors abide by the alcohol laws of their destinations.

I know what some of you are thinking. Places like Saudi Arabia and Libya ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

& Dilemmas of

ohol Abroad are hardly on your list of top ten vacation destinations.

However, restrictions also apply in popular holiday locations that we Brits frequently visit. One example of this is the idyllic beach setting of the Maldives where, despite popular unrest and a state of emergency earlier this year, The Telegraph reports over 32,000 of us chose to go on holiday during the summer. The white silky sands, the tropical topaz tides and the endless supply of sunshine makes it a dream setting for your summer, but be careful about where you choose to stay if you want to while away the days sipping sangria. Most of us will elect to visit a designated holiday island resort, where alcohol is legally sold to tourists. However, should you choose to venture off the resort you cannot take any alcohol with you, as non-tourist areas often come under Sharia law where alcohol is forbidden. For example, the capital Malé is a “dry” island where any guests trying to bring in boozy beverages will find their produce confiscated and their wallets considerably lighter on account of the heavy fine they are likely to receive. Similar rules apply on the island of Hulhulé, which is where the airport for most incoming international flights is located. This means you must not attempt to bring alcohol into the country, even if you only plan to drink it on an island resort. India is another increasingly popular destination, particularly for young British travellers who want to explore the enriching environment on their gap years. But caution must be taken, as certain Indian states like Kerala, Gujarat and Nagaland have restrictions, or all-out bans, on liquor.

This article aims not to intimidate you or prevent you from exploring different countries when on your travels. Immersing yourself in new cultures can be an eye-opening experience and an opportunity to broaden your horizons. Furthermore, there’s nothing to say that booze is a requirement of a brilliant holiday (I mean have you tasted some of the tropical mocktails out there?).

However, on the whole, Britons are keen to have a drink or two when on a relaxing break abroad so it is best to prepare yourself. Breaking the law doesn’t only ruin your ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

relaxation by swapping a holiday house for a jailhouse, it also shows a blatant disregard for the host nation. If your holiday isn’t complete without a hangover, it is important you know the areas to avoid and to educate yourself on local customs before you travel.

WORDS BY RACHEL MATHER IMAGES BY EMILY KILMARTIN 29

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

ADAPTING TO ALCOHOL AND DRUGS LAWS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES WORDS BY MEGAN CROSSMAN IMAGE BY AVILA DIANA CHIDUME

In the UK it is no secret that there is a widely accepted, often encouraged, binge drinking culture. While this is a social norm in the UK, attitudes to drink and drugs vary wildly across the world. When travelling you should always be aware of what is and is not legal/accepted in different countries regarding drugs and alcohol and be willing to adapt to fit in with these.

DRINKING AGE

In European countries, such as Germany, Spain and France, you can legally purchase beer, cider and wine at 16, but to purchase spirits you need to be 18. If you fall into the under-18 category be prepared to stick to beer, ciders and wine when drinking in these countries.

When travelling in the USA and Dubai, if you are under-21 you should be prepared not to drink at all as their legal drinking age is 21. This applies especially in Dubai where you cannot legally purchase alcohol unless it is in a bar/ restaurant if you are a tourist. Rather than drinking in stricter countries under the legal age, opt for a non-alcoholic drink.

You can still have fun without being under the influence of alcohol (and you won’t suffer the nasty hangover the next day).

PUBLIC DRINKING AND CLUBBING

Though binge-drinking is a social norm in the UK, this is not the case everywhere.

In Sydney there are lock-out laws so you cannot enter or re-enter a club/pub after 1.30am, and everyone must have left at 3am (although talks are underway to abolish the lock-out laws in Sydney’s central business district). Street drinking is also frowned upon and open alcohol on public transport is illegal. While you might be used to setting off for a Jesters night-out with a bottle of wine in hand while in Southampton, you should avoid doing this when travelling in places such as Sydney, as you may miss the best part of the night and lose your bottle of wine. Instead predrink earlier, leave earlier, and maybe leave the drink at your accommodation.

CULTURAL BELIEFS ON DRINKING

One of the most important situations that you need to be willing to adapt to when travelling is the cultural beliefs in different countries.

In some Muslim countries, like Bangladesh, Iran and Libya (to name a few) alcohol consumption is banned for Muslims.

Although the laws are relaxed for non-Muslims in some countries, be aware that they have banned alcohol because it is against their religious beliefs. Although you may be able to have a few drinks as a tourist, be respectful of their beliefs and don’t get carried away with drinking, as you are a guest in their country.

DRUGS

Drugs can be tempting to take when you are travelling abroad, and, in some countries, it is easier to access them than in England. For example, Canada have just legalised recreational marijuana and Amsterdam is well-known for its “coffeeshops” so marijuana is easily accessible in these places. However, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. When adapting to laws that aren’t as strict as other places, as a tourist you should always stick with what you’re comfortable with. Don’t feel pressured to smoke marijuana just because you’re in Amsterdam.

On the opposite end of the scale, in Singapore the selling of drugs (and possession by default) is punishable by death.

Even if you’re used to taking drugs regularly, in countries such as this, give them a miss until you’re somewhere where drugs won’t land you with a death penalty or serious prison sentence.

30

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

Boozy Football:

WORDS BY ZACH SHARIF IMAGES BY EMMA FREI

The Good Old Days?

Don’t all football fans miss the “good old days”? The days before money ruined everything, before diving disgraced the game, before overpaid stars’ haircuts cost more than your daily wage?

Central to this was the lifestyle, booze and cigarettes, and that was all before half-time. The days when George Best would score a 40 yard screamer then head down to the pub afterwards to drink with the lads. The man himself famously said: ‘In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol’. ‘It was the worst 20 minutes of my life.’ Just how bad was sport’s relationship with alcohol?

Taking George Best as an example, it’s quite clear that his story is one that ultimately ended in tragedy. An epic tragedy, but a tragedy nevertheless. An incredible footballer, blessed with skill and an eye for goal that stunned even those at the very top. Not just that, but the first true celebrity personality English football had ever seen. Dubbed the fifth Beatle, Best was trailblazing through an era notable also for the likes of Muhammad Ali and the aforementioned Beatles. He paved the way for figures such as Brian Clough, David Beckham and José Mourinho.

Best had his own fashion line, owned restaurants and had appeared on Top of the Pops just as colour televisions were becoming popular. He was larger than life, becoming notable for his wit, style and ultimately, his drinking.

This was an era alien to nutritionists, sport scientists and footballers shamed for nights out. George Best was the ultimate football “lad”. One of football’s most beloved, he suffered severe liver damage at the age of 54. His liver was said to be functioning at just 20%. A liver transplant on the NHS caused controversy due to his alcoholism.

The question was asked how much help should the state provide? When he passed away in 2005 due to a lung infection, he requested a story be printed nationwide.

Sure enough, on a double spread in the News of The World, Best was pictured in hospital, his skin an awful yellow.

Printed below were the bold words Best sent to the public: ‘Don’t die like me’.

If we are listening to our heroes then, we should heed his warnings - warnings coming from experience too - about drink. It brings up a question always lingering over past heroes in any sport - what if they could have had modern training methods, modern techniques, better lifestyles?

The greatest in an era of drink and poor diets would surely be untouchable. However, then perhaps it was these qualities that made them so great. The cavalier attitude, the outspoken nature and genuine personas. A world away from the sterilised world of sport now, of football players so dull and media-trained that their press interviews are less entertaining than paint drying. They say George Best was part of the ‘27 club’, the stars who peaked at this age.

Unlike the other members of this club though, Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Best didn’t die at 27. He retired and then lived through his mistakes.

This immortal quality we give to our stars works if they died after their choices.

Yet Best actively preached, in his dying moments, warnings and dangers.

Perhaps we should not live out the lives of our heroes exactly. Do as they say, not as they do.

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

33

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

34

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

FEATURES | OPINION | POLITICS | SCIENCE & TECH | LIFESTYLE | INTERNATIONAL | TRAVEL | SPORT

THE FAILURE OF BOXING TO PROPERLY ADDRESS ITS DRUGS PROBLEM WORDS BY JOE ARMSTRONG IMAGE BY JUSTINE VINUYA For the first three rounds of his world title fight on September 22nd, Alexander Povetkin looked as if he was about to shock the world. The undefeated WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, appeared to be on the back foot with Povetkin seriously hurting him in the second round. Despite this, Joshua would ultimately stage a comeback, brutally knocking out the Russian seven rounds in.

In the context of Povetkin’s career, there is a clear argument for the title fight to have never taken place.

He had failed drugs tests on two separate occasions and questions were raised over his avoidance of antidoping agencies in the build-up to the Joshua fight.

Povetkin’s first failed test was in Spring 2016, when he tested positive for the substance Meldonium. This drug is primarily used in Eastern Europe as a medicine to treat ischaemia, the restriction of the blood supply to tissues in the body, leading to disruption to cellular metabolism. Meldonium was placed on the World AntiDoping Agency’s (WADA) banned list of substances to enhance performance in January 2016. Povetkin’s second failed drugs test was in November of the same year, when he tested positive for dimethylamylamine (DMAA). Unlike Meldonium, this substance, nowadays marketed as a dietary supplement rather than its original use as a treatment for blocked noses, has long been outlawed by governing sports authorities.

On March 3rd last year, Povetkin was given a lifetime ban and fined $250,000 by the World Boxing Council for failing the aforementioned drug tests. However, he was allowed to return in December of the same year and was back fighting at the highest level of boxing within 18 months of receiving the harshest suspension ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

applicable. This case makes a mockery of the sport itself and taints legitimate athletes. At this moment, the heavyweight division might be throwing away its chance to relive the glory days of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

Many more deserving contenders could have taken the fight to Anthony Joshua, the most obvious two being Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury. With their December 1st fight looming, let us delve into the world of heavyweight contenders.

The first being Jarell ‘Big Baby’ Miller with an undefeated record of 22 wins, 19 of which have come by knockout (KO), Miller has steadily built a solid boxing résumé, being best known for his devastating left hook.

Miller commenced his professional boxing career in 2009 and has never been marred by failed drugs tests.

He also most recently fought on October 6th, making him a viable opponent for Joshua. Interestingly, Miller also boasts a similarly impressive record - 22 wins and 2 losses - in the sport of Kickboxing which he fought in professionally from 2006-2014.

Another highly praised and undefeated contender comes in the form of Adam Kownacki. The PolishAmerican, who like Miller grew up in the New York suburb of Brooklyn, boasts an impressive 18 professional wins, 14 of which have come by way of knockout. With his most recent fight, a unanimous decision victory over former heavyweight champion Charles Martin, Kownacki was available and ready to fight on September 22nd.

With athletes such as Kowanacki and Miller available and ready to fight, it’s time for promoters such as Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren to take some initiative and not book those marred by doping misdemeanours and help restore the image of heavyweight boxing to its glorious past.

35

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS

36

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AWARENESS