10 Tips for Staying Safe This Holiday Season: The Young People Edition

Christmas and New Year’s is a time to be around those you love, enjoy yourself, and remind yourself of the important things in life. It can also be a time of incredible amounts of drinking, prolonged periods of standing outside in the freezing cold, and the occasional sexual encounter.

So here we’ve compiled some handy harm reduction tips for young people to keep safe during the festive period.

 

1. Keep 3 Fake Pin Numbers in your Wallet.

Nothing ruins a night out like losing your card and having to cancel it. Keep a slip of paper in your wallet with 3 random 4-digit numbers on it. If someone finds your wallet they’ll assume one of them is your PIN number, and they might try them one at a time at a cash machine. When they punch in the third (incorrect) guess, the machine will swallow the card up, saving you all kinds of hassle. Clever, eh?

 

 

 

2. Wear a coat.

With forecasts for this winter hitting as low as -27.7 degrees Celcius, you don’t want to be waiting for a taxi wearing a t-shirt or a backless dress, regardless of gender.

 

3. Charge your phone.

Keeping the terrible battery life of many smart phones aside, make sure your phone is fully charged. Anything could happen, and you’ll feel silly if you’re left alone partying like it’s 1999 (that’s before most people had mobile phones. Remember?)

 

 

 

 

 

4. Make sure you have enough money for a taxi.

And don’t spend it on booze. One way to do this is hide it from yourself by keeping it in a bra, or a shoe – don’t worry, the cabbie won’t mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Eat before going out.

Drinking on an empty stomach is the surest way to get accidentally wrecked and wake up with an incredible hangover – and that’s just if you’re lucky. Do yourself a favour.

 

 

 

 

 

6. Drink water between drinks.

 

Alcohol dehydrates you, which is part of the reason that incredible headaches and nausea happen themorning after. Some people think it isn’t cool to ask for water at a bar, but we think it’s a lot cooler than spending all of Saturday afternoon embracing a toilet bowl.

 

 

 

 

7. Don’t walk home alone.

The period around Christmas sees an increase in crime such as drink-fuelled assaults, street robbery, and harassment. Both boys and girls get attacked on their way home after a night out, so it’s best not to risk it even if it’s a short walk.

 

 

 

 

 

8. Take protection.

Don’t be a fool, protect your tool. Whether you’re male, female, in a relationship, or incredibly unsuccessful with the opposite sex, always have a couple of condoms with you. The last thing you want for Christmas is an STI or a fertilised human egg.

 

9. Keep an eye on your drinks.

Let’s face it – some people are dicks. If you don’t want to get your drink spiked over the festive season, then never leave your drink unattended, and don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know. It’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to tell your drink has been spiked until it’s too late. More advice on drink spiking: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/abuse/Pages/drink-spiking.aspx

 

10. Stay around your mates.

Unlike lions, tigers are solitary creatures, which is why they’re much more endangered (probably). Look out for your friends and make sure they’re looking out for you.

 

And don’t forget to have an excellent Christmas and New Year!