Celebrate and be safe this Jubilee weekend
Dated: 29 May 2012
The nation is celebrating the Queen’s diamond jubilee with national, regional and local events and an extended weekend to enjoy them. With many having four days off, there will be plenty of time to relax, enjoy jubilee celebrations as well as getting some of those household tasks ticked off.
Street parties and barbecues will be great fun but, inevitably, drinking is likely to be involved and this can lead to trips, falls and other accidents.
Alcohol is the biggest single cause of accidents in the home (1) with 2.7 million home accidents requiring hospital treatment each year(2). When you have been drinking, not only is the likelihood of you having an accident increased, but the seriousness of your injury is likely to be greater than when sober.
BCA Chiropractor, Tim Hutchful, says “It’s not just bumps and falls you need to watch out for, excess alcohol impairs your judgement and acts as a diuretic, leaving you dehydrated and causing your muscles to ache. Couple this with the fact that alcohol can also irritate your stomach, you could also leave yourself feeling nauseous too.”
Follow this advice:
- Stick to the Government's recommended unit guidelines (2-3 units per day for a woman and 3-4 units per day for a man). You don’t have to drink to excess to enjoy yourself. For more information on units and responsible drinking visit www.drinkaware.co.uk
- Make sure you drink plenty of water – before, after and whilst consuming alcohol and always eat a meal before drinking.
- Keep steady on your feet by wearing sensible shoes.
- Don’t attempt any task that may be affected by your impaired state; DIY, or gardening for example.
- If you injure yourself, make sure you give the full and accurate background to whichever medical professional you seek help from; it could make a lot of difference to the diagnosis and treatment.
1. Consumer & Competition Policy Directorate. 2002 ‘Research on the proportion of home accidents involving product fault or contributory behaviour’ p 28.
2. ROSPA Home Safety Facts and Figures http://www.rospa.com/homesafety/adviceandinformation/general/facts-figures.aspx