Have Fun and Stay Safe this December...Plan Ahead
Bolton’s definitely the place to spend your leisure time this festive season, especially if you want to shop ‘til you drop and have some fun nights out.
But . . . with the shops, pubs and clubs even busier than usual as more people come into town to spend their leisure time, the festive season can become a little stressful and we may forget to take the usual precautions to keep ourselves and our property safe.
With a little planning ahead (in fact, it’s probably just a couple of phone calls) you can make sure you and your friends have a fun time and your valuables stay safe.
Firstly, make sure you and your friends have a plan not just for getting into town but getting home safely:
If you are planning to go home by bus or train check the timetables so you don’t miss the last one;
If you are coming in by car remember to park safely and, if you do decide to have alcoholic drinks, make other plans to get home safely;
By taxi – be ahead of the pack and miss the queues by booking a trusted taxi firm at the start of your evening and arrange to be picked up in a brightly lit, public place.
Plan Ahead...clubbing and pubbing
When we are enjoying a night out with friends, it can be all too easy to have one or two alcoholic drinks more than we planned.
So please, this December, Be Safe and...
Pace your drinks – if possible make every other drink a non-alcoholic one. Too much alcohol (as most of us know) can impair our senses and may make us so incapable that we either end up a victim of crime or seriously damage our health.
If you can, eat before or during a night out, as eating slows alcohol getting into your bloodstream. It also gives you more energy and lessens the effects the next day.
Drink smaller drinks: it sounds obvious, but it's better to drink smaller measures of drinks if you have the choice – especially with wine. A large glass of wine in most bars is equivalent to a third of a bottle (a lot of kebabs!)
Always stay together – it is easier to stay safe in a group and travel into and out of town together
Remember to walk away from trouble – it really isn’t worth a fight.
Take safe transport – plan ahead and know who you’re going to get home.
Your safety is your responsibility – we can all do our own bit to keep the town centre safe.
Pub Quiz
Did you know...
Four pints of strong lager (5.2%) contains 880 calories.
One alcopop has the same calories as a portion of fries.
Comparing calories, seven alcopops equals three big hamburgers, 10 slices of cheese, a regular pizza or five chocolate bars.
Two and a half pints of bitter caontain the same amount of calories as a kebab.
One large galss of wine is the same as a doughnut.
Units
Safe Drinking Level for Men: four units per day.
Safe Drinking Level for Women: three units per day.
1 pint of strong lager (5.2%) = 3 units.
1 pint of light lager (4%) = 2.3 units.
250ml large red/white wine (12%) = 1.4 units.
275ml alcopop (5%) = 1.4 units.
Double vodka (40%) = 2.8 units.
It's not a good idea to store up your units and have them all on one night or over a weekend. You should also try and have two alcohol free days per week.