Don’t Drink and Drown
During freshers’ week, OULSC are supporting the national RLSS UK Don’t Drink and Drown Campaign. The campaign was started after a series of university students drowned on their way back from nights out and focuses on the risks of entering the water whilst under the influence of alcohol. 46% of 16-25 year olds who drown accidentally have alcohol or drugs in their system. Alcohol makes people more likely to fall into water accidentally, and have difficulty climbing out or swimming. Drinking alcohol also makes risky behaviour around water more likely.
During freshers’ week and beyond, we encourage to you #beamate and look after your friends around water if they have been drinking. Help your friends get home safely after a night out by staying together and avoiding walking home near water. If someone does fall in accidentally and gets into difficulty, call 999 and never enter the water yourself.
You can find out more about the campaign on the RLSS website.
Water safety around Oxford
Oxford has lots of different water sites, which is part of what makes it such an attractive city, but they also come with a variety of risks. Here are a few examples:
Flooded footpaths: during the winter, the paths alongside the Thames and the Cherwell frequently flood. If you come across a flooded section of path, do not attempt to cross. Rivers in flood have a fast and powerful current which conceals debris and can sweep you off your feet, even in shallow water.
Locks and weirs: water management features such as locks and weirs change the flow of water courses. Be especially careful of falling into the water around such features because high freeboards may make it difficult to climb out and strong currents can cause people to become trapped.
Remember, always follow the Water Safety Code:
List of site pages
