Alcohol
A lot of students at University drink alcohol and for many this social activity doesn’t cause any significant problems, apart from the obvious damage to their student loans. It is important to remember though, that alcohol does affect us, and these affects are not always obvious.
If you walk around Cardiff at night, you often see people doing things that they definitely wouldn’t be doing if they were sober. Sometimes, these behaviours are embarrassing, put them at risk of harm or could get them into trouble.
Alcohol Units and ABV Explained
The alcohol unit system was introduced in 1987 to help people keep track of how much they were drinking, and helps people to understand the amount of alcohol within their drink.
A unit is a measure of how much alcohol is within a drink, and therefore is very different to the ABV (alcohol by volume) %. One Unit = 10ml or ~8g of pure alcohol:
- A 175ml glass of wine has an ABV of 12%. This is 2.1 Units.
- A pint (568ml) of beer as a ABV of 4%. This is 2.3 Units
You can easily work this out:
- (Volume) x (%) / 1000 = Units.
- For example; (175 x 12) / 1000 = 2.1 Units
How much is a safe amount of alcohol to drink?
This is a difficult question to answer as it depends on a variety of factors. It is also important to consider what the long term and short term risks of drinking alcohol are. The NHS recommend that people (both men and women) do not drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week. This is equivalent to 6 pints of beer or 10 small glasses of wine.
Drinking a lot of alcohol in a short space of time is called binge drinking. This is drinking more than 6 Units of alcohol for women or 8 units for men in a short space of time, or drinking to get drunk.
Binge Drinking
Alcohol changes the way that humans process information and behave, it can lower people’s inhibitions and can make them feel good. This also makes people more likely to take risks, and this is particularly true when binge drinking.
Risks that students may take include activities such as:
- Walking off on their own / walking home on their own
- Swimming
- Crossing dangerous roads or train tracks, or climbing structures
- Criminal activity, such as stealing
- Fighting
- Risky sexual activity, such as unprotected sex
- Taking drugs or continuing to drink excessively
Binge drinking can also have very damaging affects to your mental health.
Every year in Student Advice we speak to students who face criminal charges, get in trouble with the University, or who are the victims of crime, in situations where alcohol is involved. Many hospital admissions are related to the damaging effects of alcohol.
Drinking in University Societies and Sports Clubs
It is important to be mindful that a lot of students can’t drink alcohol for medical or cultural reasons or because of they have religious beliefs. For those unable to drink for medical reasons, it may be that drinking any amount will have very serious implications.
Students may also be nervous attending society events for the first time and can be intimidated by the behaviour of other students. This can lead to them intentionally, or being easily encouraged, to drink excessive amounts of alcohol.
The most important thing society leaders and committee members can do is to look after each other and encourage participants to drink and to behave in a safe and responsible way. Very sadly, there have been instances at Universities of students being forced, or encouraged to drink excessive amounts of alcohol. This has resulted in serious incidents and deaths.
Universities UK (UUK), in collaboration with Newcastle University, launched a briefing in September, 2019, Initiations at UK universities, to raise awareness of the dangers of initiations and excessive alcohol consumption among students.
This briefing is a response to the tragic death of Newcastle University student Ed Farmer who died following an initiation event. At the inquest in October 2018, the coroner concluded there was a risk of future deaths occurring because students were “unaware of the risks of consuming large quantities of alcohol over a short period of time.”
What can you do to keep yourself and others safe?
Your behaviour can influence how other people around you behave, and this is true around alcohol. By keeping yourself safe and in control, you can help other people to be safe and in control too:
- Eat first. Drinking on an empty stomach means that more of the alcohol will get into your blood in a shorter time. This can make you very drunk, very quickly and can make you ill.
- If you are in a nightclub, suggest a round of water and go and get this for you and your friend(s).
- Try and avoid buying rounds of alcoholic drinks. This encourages you and others to drink alcohol when you might be drinking water, or taking a break.
- Do not buy drinks for someone who is drunk.
- Don’t be afraid to suggest a non-alcoholic activity.
- Try and avoid sexual activity with anyone when you have been drinking.
- If you notice a friend is drinking more regularly or you have concerns about their drinking, trust your instincts and open a dialogue with them.
- Limit the amount of money that you spend on a night out.
- Do not be afraid to say no to a night out. Saying “no, to a night out”, is saying “yes, to yourself”.
- Know your limits and do not try to push them.
- Know where you can get support and advice.
Problem Drinking
If alcohol consumption is causing affects to your health, relationships, work, or education, it is a sign that something is not right. If you are struggling to stop drinking once you have started, if you are drinking regularly and struggling to cut down, or you feel like you need to drink alcohol, then we strongly urge you to get some help. Alcoholics Anonymous suggest that if you answer yes to any one of the following questions, you may need to seriously think about your relationship with alcohol:
- Do you drink because you have problems? To face up to stressful situations?
- Do you drink when you get mad at other people, your friends or parents?
- Do you often prefer to drink alone, rather than with others?
- Are you starting to get low marks? Are you skiving off work?
- Do you ever try to stop or drink less - and fail?
- Have you begun to drink in the morning, before school or work?
- Do you gulp your drinks as if to satisfy a great thirst?
- Do you ever have loss of memory due to your drinking?
- Do you avoid being honest with others about your drinking?
- Do you ever get into trouble when you are drinking?
- Do you often get drunk when you drink, even when you do not mean to?
- Do you think you're big to be able to hold your drink?
It can be very difficult to make the first steps when drinking becomes problematic, but it is important to tackle the issue as early on as you can. You may feel that you can talk to a trusted friend or relative, but, if this does not help in tackling the issue, you should also seek professional help and support.
Professional help
If you feel that alcohol is becoming a problem, consider seeking professional support. If you think you have an alcohol addiction, seeking professional support is an important first step.
It can be useful to visit your GP in the first instance. They will want to assess your physical health as well as your mental health and will be able to recommend and refer to specialist services if appropriate. You may also wish to contact one of the below services:
- CAVDAS (Cardiff and Vale Drugs and Alcohol Service) is a free and confidential drug and alcohol service for adults in Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan. They offer support to individuals who are affected by substance use.
- Drink Aware provide an online chat service called DrinkChat run by trained advisors who can give you confidential advice about alcohol.
- Entry into Drug and Alcohol Services (E-DAS) is a single point of entry for anyone who feels that they have an issue with any substance in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. EDAS staff will provide you with a free and confidential appointment to explore your options.
- Port of Call can provide impartial guidance to help you, or a loved, one find appropriate treatment and support for addiction. Whether it’s booking into a drug or alcohol rehabilitation clinic or arranging addiction counselling, Port of Call can give information about a wide range of treatment options available to you - noting that the closest Port of Call service is based in Swansea.
- Recovery Cymru is a peer-led, peer-support, recovery community that empowers people to achieve and maintain recovery from drug and/or alcohol misuse while supporting others to do the same.
You can also look at;
- Alcoholics Anonymous A fellowship made up of members who used to drink to excess and now support each other to get and stay sober.
- We are With You A charity providing free, confidential support to people experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health.
- Talk to Frank
- Rehab 4 Addiction is a website that offers guidance and support for people experiencing problems with substance misuse and co-occurring mental health problems in Cardiff.
Being alcohol-free at university
Whether it be for religious reasons, money, health issues, or you simply don’t want to, there can be many reasons why people choose not to drink alcohol at university. We have compiled a few tips on how to manage university alcohol-free.
Be yourself
Don’t feel the need to justify your sobriety to others. It is your choice and others shouldn’t make you feel like you have to be drinking – after all, that is not what university is about! Although people may ask questions at first, they will respect you for being yourself and invite you out because they enjoy your company.
Be sociable
Being sober does not mean being anti-social. Make sure you still make the effort to socialise with friends. Even if you are not going out for the night, you can still sit with your friends during pre-drinks and if they are playing drinking games, just do an alternative forfeit!
Try something different
There is more to university than drinking. Check out societies and groups that you can be part of throughout your time in Cardiff. Encourage your friends to ditch a night on the tiles to visit some Cardiff attractions or other types of nightlife.
Contact Student Advice
Advice@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 (0)2920 781410
Alcohol
Mae llawer o fyfyrwyr yn y Brifysgol yn yfed alcohol ac i lawer nid yw'r gweithgaredd cymdeithasol hwn yn achosi unrhyw broblemau sylweddol, ar wahân i'r difrod amlwg i'w benthyciadau myfyrwyr. Mae'n bwysig cofio, serch hynny, fod alcohol yn effeithio arnom ni, ac nid yw'r effeithiau hyn bob amser yn amlwg.
Wrth gerdded o amgylch Caerdydd yn y nos, yn aml gellir gweld pobl yn gwneud pethau na fydden nhw’n eu gwneud os oedden nhw'n sobor. Weithiau, mae'r ymddygiadau hyn yn codi cywilydd, eu rhoi mewn perygl neu’n gallu arwain at drafferthion.
Egluro unedau alcohol ac ABV
Cafodd y system unedau alcohol ei chyflwyno yn 1987 er mwyn helpu pobl i gadw golwg ar faint yr oedden nhw'n ei yfed, ac mae'n helpu pobl i ddeall faint o alcohol sydd o fewn eu diod.
Mae uned yn fesur o faint o alcohol sydd o fewn diod, ac felly mae'n wahanol iawn i'r ABV (alcohol yn ôl cyfaint) %. Un Uned = 10ml neu ~8g o alcohol pur:
- Mae gan wydr gwin 175ml ABV o 12%, sef 2.1 Uned.
- Mae gan beint (568ml) o gwrw ABV o 4%, sef 2.3 Uned.
Gallwch chi gyfrifo hyn yn hawdd:
- (Cyfrol) x (%) / 1000 = Unedau.
- Er enghraifft; (175 x 12) / 1000 = 2.1 Uned
Faint o alcohol sy’n swm diogel i’w yfed?
Mae hwn yn gwestiwn anodd i'w ateb gan ei fod yn dibynnu ar amryw o ffactorau. Mae hefyd yn bwysig ystyried beth yw'r risgiau hir dymor a byr dymor o yfed alcohol. Mae'r GIG yn argymell nad yw pobl (dynion a menywod) yn yfed mwy na 14 uned o alcohol yr wythnos. Mae hyn yn cyfateb i 6 peint o gwrw neu 10 gwydr bach o win.
Mae yfed llawer o alcohol mewn amser byr yn cael ei alw'n oryfed mewn pyliau. Mae hyn yn golygu yfed mwy na 6 Uned o alcohol i fenywod neu fwy nag 8 Uned i ddynion mewn amser byr, neu'n yfed i feddwi.
Goryfed mewn pyliau
Mae alcohol yn newid y ffordd y mae bodau dynol yn prosesu gwybodaeth ac yn ymddwyn, gall leihau ataliadau pobl a gwneud iddyn nhw deimlo'n dda. Mae hyn hefyd yn gwneud pobl yn fwy tebygol o gymryd risg, ac mae hyn yn arbennig o wir wrth oryfed mewn pyliau.
Mae’r risgiau hyn y gall myfyrwyr eu cymryd yn cynnwys gweithgareddau fel:
- Cerdded i ffwrdd ar ben eu hun / cerdded adref ar ben eu hun
- Nofio
- Croesi ffyrdd peryglus neu draciau trên, neu strwythurau dringo
- Gweithgarwch troseddol, megis dwyn
- Ymladd
- Gweithgaredd rhywiol peryglus, fel rhyw heb ddiogelwch
- Cymryd cyffuriau neu barhau i yfed yn ormodol
Mae goryfed hefyd yn gallu cael effaith niweidiol iawn ar eich iechyd meddwl.
Bob blwyddyn yn Cyngor Myfyrwyr rydym yn siarad â myfyrwyr sy'n wynebu cyhuddiadau troseddol, yn mynd i drafferthion gyda'r Brifysgol, neu sy'n dioddef trosedd, mewn sefyllfaoedd sy’n ymwneud ag alcohol. Mae llawer o dderbyniadau i'r ysbyty yn gysylltiedig ag effeithiau niweidiol alcohol.
Yfed mewn cymdeithasau Prifysgol a chlybiau chwaraeon
Mae'n bwysig bod yn ymwybodol nad yw llawer o fyfyrwyr yn gallu yfed alcohol am resymau meddygol, diwylliannol neu o ganlyniad i’w credoau crefyddol. I'r rhai sy'n methu yfed am resymau meddygol, efallai byddai yfed unrhyw swm o alcohol, boed cyn lleied ydyw, yn gallu cael goblygiadau difrifol.
Gall myfyrwyr hefyd fod yn nerfus wrth fynychu digwyddiadau cymdeithasol am y tro cyntaf a gall ymddygiad myfyrwyr eraill eu dychryn. Gall hyn annog pobl, yn fwriadol neu beidio, i yfed gormod o alcohol.
Y peth pwysicaf all arweinwyr cymdeithasau ac aelodau'r pwyllgor ei wneud yw gofalu am ei gilydd ac annog cyfranogwyr i yfed ac ymddwyn mewn ffordd ddiogel a chyfrifol. Yn anffodus iawn, bu achosion mewn Prifysgolion o fyfyrwyr yn cael eu gorfodi, neu eu hannog i yfed gormod o alcohol. Mae hyn wedi arwain at ddigwyddiadau difrifol a marwolaethau.
Ym mis Medi 2019 Lansiodd Prifysgolion DU (UUK), ar y cyd â Phrifysgol Newcastle, briff, Derbyniadau ym mhrifysgolion y DU, i godi ymwybyddiaeth o beryglon goryfed ymhlith myfyrwyr.
Mae'r briff hwn yn ymateb i farwolaeth drasig y myfyriwr Ed Farmer o Brifysgol Newcastle a fu farw yn dilyn digwyddiad derbyn. Yn y cwest ym mis Hydref 2018, daeth y crwner i'r casgliad fod yna risg y gallai marwolaethau ddigwydd yn y dyfodol oherwydd nad oedd myfyrwyr yn "ymwybodol o'r peryglon o yfed llawer iawn o alcohol dros gyfnod byr".
Beth gelli di ei wneud i gadw dy hun ac eraill yn ddiogel?
Gall dy ymddygiad di ddylanwadu ar y ffordd y mae pobl eraill o’th cwmpas yn ymddwyn, ac mae hyn yn wir ynghylch alcohol. Trwy gadw dy hun yn ddiogel ac mewn rheolaeth, gall hyn helpu pobl eraill i fod yn ddiogel ac mewn rheolaeth hefyd:
- Bwyta'n gyntaf. Mae yfed ar stumog wag yn golygu y bydd mwy o'r alcohol yn mynd i mewn i'ch gwaed mewn amser byrrach. Gall hyn eich gwneud chi'n feddw iawn, yn gyflym iawn ac yn gallu eich gwneud chi'n sâl.
- Os ydych chi mewn clwb nos, awgrymwch fynd i gael rownd o ddwr i chi a’ch ffrind(iau).
- Ceisiwch osgoi prynu rowndiau o ddiodydd alcoholig. Mae hyn yn eich annog chi ac eraill i yfed alcohol pan allwch chi fod yn yfed dwr, neu'n cymryd seibiant.
- Peidiwch â phrynu diodydd i rywun sy'n feddw.
- Peidiwch ag ofni awgrymu gweithgaredd di-alcoholig.
- Ceisiwch osgoi gweithgaredd rhywiol gydag unrhyw un pan fyddwch chi wedi bod yn yfed.
- Os ydych chi'n sylwi bod ffrind yn yfed yn fwy rheolaidd neu os ydych yn pryderu am eu hyfed, dilynwch eich greddf a dechreuwch sgwrs gyda nhw.
- Cyfyngwch ar faint o arian rydych chi'n ei wario ar noson allan.
- Peidiwch â bod ofn dweud na i noson allan. Mae dweud "na, i noson allan", fel dweud "ie, i ti dy hun".
- Byddwch yn ymwybodol o’ch terfynau a pheidiwch â’u herio.
- Byddwch yn ymwybodol o ble gallwch gael cymorth a chyngor.
Yfed problemus
Os yw yfed alcohol yn effeithio ar eich iechyd, perthnasoedd, gwaith, neu addysg, mae'n arwydd nad yw rhywbeth yn iawn. Os ydych chi'n ei chael hi'n anodd stopio yfed unwaith i chi ddechrau, yn yfed yn rheolaidd ac yn cael trafferth cwtogi, neu’n teimlo bod angen i chi yfed alcohol, yna rydym yn eich annog yn gryf i gael ychydig o gymorth. Mae Alcoholics Anonymous yn awgrymu, os ydych chi'n ateb ie i unrhyw un o'r cwestiynau canlynol, efallai y bydd angen i chi feddwl o ddifrif am eich perthynas ag alcohol:
- Wyt ti'n yfed oherwydd bod gen ti broblemau? I wynebu sefyllfaoedd sy'n achosi straen?
- Wyt ti'n yfed pan yn cynhyrfu gyda phobl eraill, dy ffrindiau neu dy rieni?
- Wyt ti’n ffafrio yfed ar dy ben dy hun yn aml, yn hytrach na gydag eraill?
- Wyt ti’n dechrau cael marciau isel? Wyt ti’n osgoi gwneud gwaith?
- Wyt ti’n trio stopio yfed neu yfed llai - ac yn methu?
- Wyt ti wedi dechrau yfed yn y bore, cyn gwaith neu ysgol?
- Wyt ti’n yfed dy ddiodydd fel pe bai'n bodloni syched mawr?
- Wyt ti erioed wedi colli atgofion o ganlyniad i yfed?
- Wyt ti'n osgoi bod yn onest gydag eraill am dy yfed?
- Wyt ti’n mynd i drafferthion wrth yfed?
- Wyt ti’n aml yn meddwi wrth yfed, hyd yn oed pan nad wyt ti’n bwriadu gwneud?
- Wyt ti'n meddwl bod dy allu i ddal dy ddiod yn dy wneud yn berson cryf?
Gall fod yn anodd iawn gwneud y camau cyntaf pan fydd yfed yn dod yn broblemus, ond mae'n bwysig mynd i'r afael â'r mater mor gynnar ag y gallwch. Efallai eich bod yn teimlo y gallwch siarad â ffrind neu berthynas dibynadwy, ond, os nad yw hyn yn helpu, dylech hefyd ofyn am gymorth a chefnogaeth broffesiynol.
Cymorth proffesiynol
Os ydych yn teimlo bod alcohol yn dod yn broblem, ystyriwch chwilio am gefnogaeth broffesiynol. Os ydych yn meddwl eich bod chi’n gaeth i alcohol, mae chwilio am gymorth proffesiynol yn gam cyntaf pwysig.
Gall fod yn ddefnyddiol mynd i weld eich meddyg teulu’n gyntaf. Byddant eisiau asesu eich iechyd corfforol yn ogystal â’ch iechyd meddyliol a byddant yn gallu argymell a’ch chyfeirio at wasanaethau arbenigol os yw’n briodol. Efallai yr hoffech hefyd gysylltu ag un o’r gwasanaethau isod:
- Mae CAVDAS (Gwasanaeth Cyffuriau ac Alcohol Caerdydd a'r Fro) yn wasanaeth cyffuriau ac alcohol cyfrinachol am ddim i oedolion yng Nghaerdydd a Bro Morgannwg. Maen nhw'n cynnig cymorth i unigolion sydd wedi'u heffeithio gan gamddefnyddio sylweddau.
- Mae Drink Aware yn cynnig gwasanaeth sgwrsio ar-lein a elwir yn DrinkChat sydd wedi’i arwain gan gynghorwyr hyfforddedig a all roi cyngor cyfrinachol i chi am alcohol.
- Mae Entry into Drug and Alcohol Services (E-DAS) yn bwynt cyswllt ar gyfer unrhyw un sy’n teimlo bod ganddynt broblem gydag unrhyw sylwedd yng Nghaerdydd a Bro Morgannwg. Bydd staff E-DAS yn cynnig apwyntiad cyfrinachol rhad ac am ddim i chi i ystyried eich opsiynau.
- Gall Port of Call gynnig arweiniad diduedd i’ch helpu chi i ddod o hyd i driniaeth addas a chefnogaeth ar gyfer gorddibyniaeth. Boed hynny drwy eich cofrestru mewn clinig adsefydlu cyffuriau neu alcohol, neu drwy drefnu cwnsela ar gyfer gorddibyniaeth, gall Port of Call roi gwybodaeth i chi am ystod eang o opsiynau triniaeth sydd ar gael i chi yng Nghaerdydd.
- Mae Recovery Cymru yn gymuned adfer, dan arweiniad cyfoedion i helpu cyfoedion, sy’n galluogi pobl i lwyddo a pharhau i wella o gamddefnydd cyffuriau a/neu alcohol tra’n cefnogi eraill i wneud yr un peth.
Gallwch hefyd edrych ar;
- Alcoholics Anonymous - Cymrodoriaeth sy'n cynnwys aelodau oedd yn arfer goryfed ac sydd bellach yn cefnogi ei gilydd i aros yn sobr.
- We are With You - Elusen sy'n darparu cymorth cyfrinachol am ddim i bobl sy'n profi problemau gyda chyffuriau, alcohol neu iechyd meddwl.
- Talk to Frank
- Rehab 4 Addiction yw gwefan sy’n cynnig cyngor a chymorth i bobl sy’n profi problemau gyda chamddefnydd sylweddau a phroblemau iechyd meddwl sy’n digwydd ar yr un pryd yng Nghaerdydd
Bod yn ddi-alcohol yn y brifysgol
Boed am resymau crefyddol, ariannol, materion iechyd, neu eich bod chi ddim eisiau, mae nifer o resymau pam mae pobl yn dewis peidio ag yfed alcohol yn y brifysgol.Rydym wedi casglu ambell syniad da am sut i fyw eich bywyd prifysgol heb yfed alcohol.
Byddwch yn chi eich hun
Peidiwch â theimlo’r angen i gyfiawnhau eich sobrwydd i eraill. Eich dewis chi yw peidio ag yfed ac ni ddylai eraill wneud i chi deimlo fel bod rhaid i chi yfed – wedi’r cyfan, nid yfed yw pwrpas prifysgol! Er bod pobl yn gofyn cwestiynau i ddechrau, byddant yn eich parchu am fod yn driw i chi eich hun ac yn estyn gwahoddiad i chi gan eu bod yn mwynhau eich cwmni.
Byddwch yn gymdeithasol
Nid yw bod yn sobr yn golygu bod yn wrthgymdeithasol. Gwnewch yn siwr eich bod yn parhau i wneud ymdrech i gymdeithasu gyda ffrindiau. Hyd yn oed os nad ydych chi’n mynd allan, gallwch ymuno gyda’ch ffrindiau pan fyddant yn cael diod cyn mynd allan ac os ydynt yn chwarae gemau yfed, gallwch wneud fforffed wahanol!
Rhowch gynnig ar rywbeth gwahanol
Mae mwy i brifysgol nag yfed. Chwiliwch am gymdeithasau a grwpiau y gallwch fod rhan ohonynt drwy gydol eich amser yng Nghaerdydd. Anogwch eich ffrindiau i ymweld â rhai o atyniadau Caerdydd neu brofi mathau eraill o nosweithiau allan.
Cysylltwch â Chyngor i Fyfyrwyr
Advice@caerdydd.ac.uk
+44 (0)2920 781410