18/11/2022

This year RLSS UK have extended our winter Don’t Drink and Drown campaign to not only cover festive plans but also this year’s FIFA World Cup tournament.

Don’t Drink and Drown is RLSS UK’s national campaign that encourages smart decision making whilst being drunk around water. It particularly targets individuals to be responsible for their friends if they have had too much to drink; #BeAMate and help them to return home safely.

Don’t Drink and Drown will begin on Monday 21 November and run until 18 December. There are lots of ways you can get involved and Lee Heard, Charity Director, tells you how:

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“For our winter Don’t Drink and Drown campaign for 2022, we want to reach not only those who are out celebrating with friends and family over the holiday season, but also those who might be out supporting their team at this year’s world cup.

“This is the first time that the world cup will have been held during our winter time, so it will be a completely different experience to what we have been used to in previous tournaments when we may have seen people in pub beer gardens, watching the games on a big screen in the summer sun.

“With this comes concerns around water safety. We want to ensure that everyone enjoys the tournament, and hopefully is able to celebrate victories for whichever team they support, but they are also able to stay safe around the various waterways on their routes home.

“On average each year 80 people lose their lives through substance-related drowning and we fear that a tournament such as this, at this time of year, may increase those tragic incidents.

“We have prepared lots of messaging which will be shared during the four weeks of the campaign, encouraging everyone to take care, not only of themselves, but of their friends, whilst out drinking. We would like to encourage everyone to share these messages with their friends and family, so we can ensure that we equip as many people as possible with the right knowledge around water safety.

“Please be sure to follow all of our social media accounts and share this messaging.

“We also have various other ways you can get involved – if you are hosting any world cup parties have you thought about displaying our messages to ensure everyone makes it home safely? Or could you volunteer your time to ask your local bar or pub if they can help spread the message?

“We have posters, banners, beer mats, bar runners, t-shirts and more available for purchase from our shop website. Displaying the Don’t Drink and Drown messages will encourage people to be responsible and ensure that their route home after the game does not involve walking near water.

“Data shows that 47% of those who lost their lives to accidental drowning in the UK never intended to be in the water. Walking home near water during the winter months can be hazardous as it can be wet and icy underfoot which can cause people to slip or fall. These hazards when mixed with alcohol create even more dangers. Alcohol impairs your judgment, meaning you are more likely to take risks, such as walk near water. It also limits muscle ability, slows down your reactions, and numbs the senses, so if you were to accidentally fall into the water, you would find it extremely difficult to swim and self-rescue.

“Our advice is simple: Be the designated mate, ensuring friends that have had too much to drink find a route home away from the water, and stay with friends.

“If you do see someone in trouble, do not enter the water and call 999.”

Download our sharable Don't Drink and Drown World Cup GIFs

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