CW for discussions of alcohol abuse and harm.
ALCOHOL Change UK is a leading charity focused on reducing alcohol harm and raising awareness. Alcohol Change UK provides free information, advice, and digital support to help people cut down or cut out alcohol.
I had a really enlightening experience talking with Ciaran, an alumni student of the University of Exeter, who began volunteering for Alcohol Change UK a few months ago, following his own personal experiences with alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and now following his recovery. During our discussion, we spoke about his extensive abuse of alcohol, the harm it caused him and others, and how he was subsequently banned from drinking socials for weeks due to his behaviour when intoxicated. For him, a sober lifestyle seemed an impossible reality. Now, he celebrates being four-and-a-half months sober.
Ciaran identified alcohol marketing as a huge betrayal of trust, including major issues with false advertising. Alcohol Change UK is lobbying the government to change the ways alcohol is marketed. He says the way shops and restaurants promote and sell alcohol makes it seem okay and not harmful. This false advertising doesn’t promote the reality of what happens—vomiting, headaches, acid reflux, how it dulls the senses, affects your sleep, slows your brain functioning, and can lead to internal bleeding, organ failure and damage including your brain. The risk of hospitalisation is high, and it can be financially crippling. Even small amounts can be harmful. In conversation with Ciaran, he shared a phrase he had been once told: “alcohol is poison disguised as beauty”.
Sober October is one of the schemes run by Alcohol Change UK. They are challenging people to go sober for 31 days and to raise money. Currently, Alcohol Change UK has 3249 sign-ups for Sober October, and have raised £23,862. The money raised during this campaign will go to support Alcohol Change UK as a charity, providing them with the financial power to run other schemes and to raise their message in other ways. Ciaran hopes and expects the turnout for Sober October will continue to grow, and more people become inspired to get sober—especially in the long term. Alcohol shouldn’t be a taboo subject that we avoid talking about, especially knowing the real harm it can cause. It should be a subject we should discuss in order to change behaviours and lifestyle habits.
In conversation with Ciaran, he shared a phrase he had been once told: “alcohol is poison disguised as beauty”.
I asked Ciaran about student lifestyles and how so much of the student experience is marketed as a drinking culture. According to the Mental Health Foundation, 47 per cent of young people surveyed before going to university thought that students got drunk most of the time. This statistic shows that the preconceptions of student experiences are frequently centred on drinking cultures—the bustling nightlife, the hype surrounding Freshers’ Week and the drinking activities that are encouraged, and even at more formal affairs, such as end of season dinners and Winter and Spring balls, with bottles of wine on tables and welcome cocktails. Even at the Exepose, we received tokens for free drinks at Wetherspoons to hand out to students— another layer of constituting a large drinking culture. Ciaran spoke about his own experiences as a student, how there was no desire to not drink—something that might resonate with students who feel they are unable to have ‘fun’ on a night out or partake in activities without drinking. We might also ask, is it because everyone is doing it? In the age of social media and the concept of ‘fear of missing out’, or more commonly ‘FOMO’, when so much of university societies is focused on pub crawls, socials that require you to frequent various bars and pubs, then going onto clubs, even a chill quiz night with friends is prefixed with the word ‘pub’, is it possible to even think about going sober—even just for the night?
According to the Mental Health Foundation, 47 per cent of young people surveyed before going to university thought that students got drunk most of the time.
Ciaran believes it is much easier as a group effort. That is why schemes like Sober October, Dry January, and a new campaign to go 100 days sober run by Alcohol Change UK is so seminal to taking first steps towards sober lifestyles. Doing these campaigns and challenges with people around you, and supporting each other makes this process smoother. There is might in camaraderie and friendship.
Ciaran also highlighted critical, healthy lifestyle changes that help him stay sober. Eating well, doing yoga, having a massage, getting exercise, and immersing oneself in nature. He shared photos of him before and after recovery. In our discussion, we spoke about how lucky Exeter students are to have such fruitful access to natural beauty—passing time at the beach or in Dartmoor are perfect distractions from university that don’t involve drinking. Instead, focusing your mind and body in nature and connecting with yourself and friends. Alcohol Change UK has plenty of resources for cutting down and making the change to going sober. They emphasise they are not anti-alcohol, but stress how important it is to consume alcohol safely and healthily, without inducing harm to yourself and others. Going sober may not seem easy, and also may not seem common in a university context, but 78 percent of students say they do not have to get drunk to have a good night out, according to the Mental Health Foundation. More sober socials and a wider society commitment to foregoing alcohol may enable students to feel comfortable going sober—alongside greater awareness, which is empowered by Alcohol Change UK’s work to get the subject of alcohol into discussion.
Going sober may not seem easy, and also may not seem common in a university context, but 78 percent of students say they do not have to get drunk to have a good night out, according to the Mental Health Foundation.
Much of the work that Alcohol Change UK conducts is concerned with lobbying the government. They are working towards changing laws surrounding alcohol marketing, especially in large chain supermarkets, with big names that households trust promoting alcohol, it becomes normalised to drink more. Furthermore, they are also lobbying governments at various levels to see what can be done about alcohol warning levels. In the same way that cigarettes have warnings about the dangers of tobacco and nicotine, Alcohol Change UK believes that drink should come with the same precursors.
Edie, your Communities and Student Life Officer, said, “We know that drinking can feel like a big part of university life, especially when it comes to socials and nights out. But no one should ever feel pressured to drink or worry about missing out because they choose not to.
We’re passionate about making sure there’s something for everyone. We offer lots of alcohol-free events throughout the year, and many of our societies offer sober socials and activities. You can explore what’s on through our website.
Whether you choose to drink or not, the decision is yours. If you’re heading out, look after yourself and your friends, plan how you’re getting home, and consider travelling together or using trusted taxis or public transport. For more tips on staying safe on a night out, check out our night safety article on the Guild website.
If the issues raised in this article affect you or cause you any concern, you do not need to manage this alone. The University of Exeter Wellbeing Services provide confidential and non-judgemental support to students. For medical advice or concerns about your physical or mental health, please contact your GP or 111 for urgent support.”
