Students are being warned of the dangers of mixing water with alcohol today as RLSS UK launches the first phase of its Don’t Drink and Drown campaign.

This week marks the first wave of Don’t Drink and Drown, kicking off on September 14, and will see RLSS UK pushing key messages out across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in a bid to raise awareness, as well as encourage universities, bars and clubs across the UK to hold events and spread the word.

To get involved with the social media campaign and help RLSS UK promote vital water safety messages, click here to view some sample posts.

Don’t Drink and Drown has two focus periods: the start of university term in September and Christmas, both key times of high alcohol consumption. The second phase of the campaign will run from December 4 to December 10, and will include a national media promotion and a number of events in high risk areas.

RLSS UK has adapted its approach to the campaign this year to include a focus on people who purposefully enter the water when intoxicated after a closer analysis of the stats revealed that young people aged 17-29 year olds were as much at risk of drowning when intentionally engaging with aquatic activity after drinking as they were of falling in accidentally.

More attention is also being given to males aged 40-69 this year after stats revealed they were just as high a risk of drowning as young people.

Based on this year’s drowning stats, RLSS UK Community Drowning Prevention Coordinators will be focusing on high risk areas, putting preventative measures in place in an effort to cut down the number of alcohol related drowning incidents.

RLSS UK has produced a new-look marketing pack this year which offers the most up to date statistics on drowning victims with alcohol or drugs in their bloodstream over the last five years, giving campaigners a factual background to their work. This is then complemented by the human touch, given through the tragic account of one father’s loss of his son at Christmas.

Case studies of previous campaign success stories, a national map showing current campaign activity, and a full list of available resources are also included in this handy pack, as well as suggestions on social media and press communication messaging.