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Student Safety

YOUR SAFETY MATTERS

We’ve pulled together some vital info on everything from alcohol and spiking to first aid and safe sex.

Plus, read on for safety tips for nights out and useful contacts to have on hand.

ALCOHOL & DRUG USE

Many people choose to drink alcohol because it can act as a relaxant and lower their inhibitions. However, alcohol is also a depressant which can impair people’s judgement and cause them to make unsafe choices. Excessive use can have both short and long-term effects on your health, relationships, studies and even your future career, it can also negatively affect relations with neighbours and the reputation of both students and the University. Plus, it’s worth noting that alcohol has been consumed by the vast majority of students who have been investigated under Queen's Conduct Regulations.

There is no completely safe limit to drinking alcohol but to avoid the most serious negative effects of alcohol, the UK’s Chief Medical Officer recommends drinking no more than 14 units per week. Don’t ‘save up’ your units to have all on one night, it’s best to spread these out evenly across the week and have regular drink-free days. 14 units of alcohol does not mean 14 drinks and you might be surprised at how many units your preferred drinks contain by using this Unit and Calorie Calculator.

The use of drugs is illegal and goes against the Queen’s Conduct Regulation. Knowing the facts about drug use can help you make safer choices and reduce harm.

QUB Student Wellbeing has information on the short and long-term effects of drug and alcohol use and harm reduction advice for those who choose to use them.

SAFETY TIPS FOR NIGHTS OUT

Nights out are great craic and a big part of student life. But, it’s good to be aware that drinking alcohol can make you more vulnerable to accidents, crime, and risk-taking.

Here are some things you can do to help keep you and your friends safe:

Drink Spiking

  • Never accept a drink from someone you don’t know
  • Never leave your drink unattended
  • Keep an eye on your and your friends’ drinks
  • Consider sticking to bottled drinks and avoiding punch bowls or jugs of cocktails
  • If you think your drink has been tampered with, don’t drink it and tell a trusted friend, relative or staff member immediately
  • If you start to feel strange or more drunk than you should be, tell a trusted friend, relative or staff member that you think you have been spiked immediately
  • Remember, even though you might think you’re doing them a favour, giving someone more alcohol than they were expecting (such as buying them a double when they asked for a single and not telling them) is dangerous

If you think your friend has been spiked:

  • Stay with them and keep talking to them
  • Try to get them home safely and don’t leave them with strangers
  • If their condition deteriorates, they are repeatedly sick, lose consciousness or are unable to stand/walk – call an ambulance
  • If you’re on your own and are unsure what to do, call a friend for support or the non-emergency NHS line at 111

Journeying Home

Before Your Night Out:

  • Let someone know where you’re going and what time you expect to be home

  • Plan your journey home e.g. book a taxi, arrange a lift, designate a driver, check out the public transport options and make sure you know when the last bus/train home is

  • Avoid taking expensive items with you or anything that could be a target for thieves. Keep your keys and phone somewhere safe

During Your Night Out:

  • Ask For Angela - If you feel unsafe, vulnerable or threatened, you can discreetly seek help by approaching venue staff and asking them for ‘Angela’. This code phrase will indicate to staff that you require help, and a trained member of staff will then look to support and assist you. This might be through reuniting you with a friend, seeing you to a taxi, or by calling venue security and/or Police. For more info and participating venues, visit the PSNI website.

  • Remember that 1 drink does not equal 1 unit – know your units so you can keep track of how much alcohol you have drank by using this Unit and Calorie Calculator.

After Your Night Out:

  • You MUST NOT drive if you are over the limit. In Northern Ireland, the drink-driving alcohol limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. This roughly equates to around 3 units of alcohol for women and 4 units for men. However, this number differs depending on the individual and that is why it is recommended that you don’t drink anything before you drive

  • Remember that alcohol can stay in your system overnight, especially if you drank a lot the night before. This means that if you drive the morning after a night of drinking, you could still be over the legal limit to drive. If you need to drive the next morning, you should bear this in mind and not drink heavily.

  • Don’t take a lift from someone who is over the limit

  • Where possible, travel home with friends

  • If you and your friends have to travel separately, let each other know when you get home

  • Consider using safety apps such as Hollieguard or sending your friends your live location if you have to travel home alone

  • Don’t give out your address to someone you’ve just met, or go home alone with them

FIRST AID

Preventing Choking

If someone passes out after drinking alcohol but is still breathing normally, place them on their side in the recovery position. This reduces the chance of them choking on their own vomit. Make sure they are accompanied and not left on their own to ‘sleep it off’.

Alcohol Poisoning

The signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:

  • clammy
  • cold
  • confusion
  • pale-bluish skin caused by a dangerous drop in body temperature (hypothermia)
  • seizures (fits)
  • slow breathing (less than eight breaths a minute)
  • vomiting

In severe cases, alcohol poisoning can cause:

  • unconsciousness
  • coma
  • death

If you suspect that someone has alcohol poisoning, dial 999 immediately to request an ambulance. Make sure they’re accompanied and not left on their own to ‘sleep it off’.

If someone is unconscious, but breathing normally, put them into the recovery position.

SAFE SEX

Drinking alcohol lowers your inhibitions, affects your judgement and can lead to risky behaviour which may later be regretted.

Remember that consent can be withdrawn at any time and consent to one thing does not mean consent to other things.

If you have experienced sexual misconduct, you can speak with a Safe and Healthy Relationships Advocate and get support and guidance through Report and Support.

When under the influence of alcohol, people are less likely to use a condom, which increases their risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia, HIV or hepatitis. It can also lead to an unplanned pregnancy.

SU Sexual Health Clinic

There is a free SU Sexual Health Clinic every Monday during term time from 10am-3pm on the 3rd Floor of Queen's Students’ Union. A Doctor and Nurse will be on site offering:

  • STI testing
  • Information and advice
  • Contraceptive advice
  • Condoms & emergency contraception

There are also a number of sexual health clinics in Belfast. You can find information on their locations and how to contact them on the Belfast Trust webpages.

SH:24 website offers a free, discreet and confidential service that individuals can use to order STI testing kits direct to their home.

Common Youth also offers free, confidential sexual health and wellbeing services to under-25s in Northern Ireland. This includes access to emergency contraception and STI testing

FIRE SAFETY

It’s important that you take fire safety seriously. Here are some tips to be aware of:

  • Make sure you have smoke alarms installed in your accommodation, test them regularly, and don’t ever cover them up

  • What may seem a harmless bit of fun, such as letting off a fire extinguisher, can lead to the loss of life

  • If you are in University Accommodation, you can be fined up to £500 if you cover or tamper with fire safety equipment

  • Avoid cooking or lighting fires when drunk, and take care with candles and cigarettes. In Northern Ireland, impairment due to alcohol, illegal or prescription drugs is a factor in 80% of fatal house fires.

USEFUL CONTACTS

Queen’s University Belfast

Student Wellbeing Service

  • Website
  • General drop-In Sessions:
    • Mon - Fri
    • 11.00am - 3.00pm
    • Student Wellbeing, Level 1, One Elmwood Student Centre
  • Drug and Alcohol Drop-In Sessions:
    • Thursdays
    • 12noon - 2.00pm
    • SU Little Yellow Room, Level 1, Students’ Union

Inspire - 24/7 Counselling Service

Queen’s Students’ Union

Advice SU – money, housing, academic and disciplinary issues

  • q-su.org/advice
  • Drop-In Sessions:
    • Tues, Wed & Fri
    • 11.30am - 2.00pm
    • SU Advice, Level 3, Students’ Union

External Contacts

  • Emergency: 999
  • Non-emergency police: 101
  • SOS Bus: 07901 505 505
  • Noise Team: 02890 373 006
  • Samaritans helpline: 116 123
  • Lifeline: 0808 808 8000
  • PSNI Rape Crime Unit: 0845 600 8000 (emergency 24hr)
  • The Rowan (Sexual Assault Referral Centre): 0800 389 4424 (support after sexual abuse, assault or rape)
  • Nexus: 028 9032 6803 (counselling for sexual abuse)
  • Brook: 028 9032 8866 (free sexual health advice and contraception)
  • 24/7 Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline: 0808 802 1414
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