Many postsecondary students celebrate achievements, holidays and friendships by going out to drink. Although this is a natural activity for young people, it is important for all students to celebrate responsibly. 

Chaouki Hamka, the community leader for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Windsor and Essex County said, “Young males aged 18 – 34 have higher rates of impaired driving behaviour than other age groups (based on various studies and surveys)”.

With the pandemic being more under control, it is safe to assume that the pub craze will return back to normal, as many students look forward to the return of their active social lives. 

According to Statistics Canada, “Indeed St. Patrick’s Day was renowned for being the busiest day of the year for pub owners before the pandemic.”

 

So how can students drink responsibly and still have fun?

 

Drinking responsibly means drinking water, eating throughout outings and planning a safe way to get back home. In other words, do not drive if you are intoxicated.

Paige Haluk, a Guelph-Humber student who works at Milestones as a server and bartender, explains what intoxication looks like in customers. 

She said, “Through experience, people tend to become very extroverted when they are on the cusp of needing to be cut off. Some signs that we look for are slurring when they talk, and people who become talkative towards everyone else around them, including those they do not know.” 

After a fun evening with friends, the last thing students should worry about is finding a safe way home. For students who cannot organize a ride with someone they know, they are encouraged to use Uber, a transportation service.

For those unsure of this service, there are a number of safety features and procedures in place to address riders’ concerns.

Keerthana Rang, Uber’s corporate communications lead said, “Over the course of the pandemic, we also rolled out anti-sexual assault and misconduct informational modules to all active drivers in partnership with RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) and other organizations. These mandatory modules provide comprehensive sexual assault and misconduct information for drivers, led by drivers.”

Rang also explains the number of safety features Uber has:

  • Audio recordings: Allows riders to securely record audio during trips in the case there is an on-trip incident. 
  • Emergency assistance button: A button that will call authorities to get help if needed. The app shows the rider’s location and trip details, so the rider can quickly share them with emergency services.
  • 24/7 incident support: Uber’s customer associates are trained to respond to incidents, and are available around the clock for riders.
  • On-trip reporting: Allows riders to report a non-emergency safety issue during an Uber trip.
  • Follow my ride: Riders can send friends and family their route, and will be informed as soon as they arrive.
  • Phone anonymization: Rider’s phone number can stay private if they need to contact the driver.
  • Global positioning system (GPS) tracking: All Uber trips are tracked.
  • RideCheck: Can help detect if a trip has an unexpected long stop. If that happens Uber can check on the rider, and offer resources to help them. 

Adolescence is an exciting time for memories and new experiences, however it is equally as important for students to stay safe and drink responsibly.