I’ve made it!

It’s the end of the challenge, 1 whole month without alcohol…

When embarking on this adventure I was extremely apprehensive, nervous I wouldn’t fit in with friends and scared that I wouldn’t enjoy nights out as much but to be honest the only effects have been positive. I can hear my liver thanking me for giving it a break, my stock of paracetamols is at an all time high as I have not had to use any and my bank balance has drastically improved!

Do I think I will stay alcohol free?

In a word: No.

Enjoying alcohol in moderation is fun, it can relax you, make a good night even better and the effect on my dancing is magical. However drinking to excess and putting yourself in danger is a quick way to ruin your night. I will be more aware of potential risks and ensure that all my friends are safe. I will also limit the amount I drink so that I don’t forget things – being able to remember conversations from nights out is rather fun!

It has been an interesting month and hopefully I will have dispelled the myth that you have to be drunk to have a good night out…I certainly have proved it to myself. Before the challenge I used to shudder with dread at the prospect of going out without drinking but now I don’t think I would give it a second thought!

Thank you for following my journey. I would love to hear your opinions about my ‘Sober Student’ month so feel free to leave a comment.

But for now, ‘Cheers!’

Guest Post: An Interview with a Door Supervisor

We have all seen figures at the entrances of the club, wrapped up in big jackets and surrounded by a group of drunken girls. But is the night of a door supervisor exactly what you think it is?

Well, surely they don’t mind being groped by girls and pinning people down on the floor – they enjoy it don’t they?! No, in reality door supervisors have much more to contend with and deserve more credit than a lot of them given.

I had the chance to interview a door supervisor who has worked the doors for over 8 years. In this time he has seen plenty of sights but is keen to point out that their job isn’t to spoil your night, they are there to keep you safe.

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Carli : Why do you think people drink so much?

Ian: People have been led to think that the key to a good night out is to get legless or completely wasted. So right from the planning stage of the night out people are in the wrong mindset. For me a good night out is having just enough drinks to have a laugh at bad jokes and relax, but not too many so that you have a hangover the day after and so you can’t remember what you did.

Carli: What’s the worst thing you have ever seen?

Ian: Unfortunately there are a lot of things that I would rather have not seen. One really sticks out for me though. A group of girls were so drunk that they left their friend behind in such a state that she wasn’t aware she was about to leave the club with a large group of males with sexual intentions. However when we tried to guide her to a safer option i.e. a taxi she started having a go at us.

Carli: What does a regular night being on the door involve?

Ian: The job for door staff isn’t as simple as people think. It is more about negotiation and prevention than the physical intervention. We are not there to spoil your night contrary to popular belief. We spend time watching body language and the interaction between people as they are approaching. Being a little drunk is not a problem, but when an individual is so drunk they are falling over then this can cause a multitude of problems in a busy club or pub. If the drunk is part of a group then we will talk to their friends and get them to take responsibility for their friend, for example not to leave them alone or get them a drink of water. We don’t get paid extra for getting involved in a fight or using physical force, we only ever use it as a last resort.

Carli: Is being a bouncer as fun as people think?

Ian: People have to remember that we aren’t a judge, so when there is a confrontation or accusations are made we usually ask both sides to either make up or leave. Many people think that we can sort out every problem they have. The more people drink the more attractive they think they are, but it is in fact the opposite. The door staff are there because when there is a large group of people there will always be a minority who spoil it for the whole. If it was purely because of drink then shopping centres and bus stations wouldn’t need security. It is only drinking to excess which seems to remove common sense. The majority of people drink to relax and de-stress but for some it has the opposite effect and they react to things that wouldn’t normally bother them. 

Carli: Can you see the change in people who have drank too much?

Ian: As you will have found out already, it’s cheaper to get drunk than stay sober. There are some people who instead of admitting they have drunk too much or had stronger drinks than they are used to, tell everyone they have been spiked. Trust me, when you see the personality change on someone who has been spiked it’s scary. We have more problems with violence from females than males, which is something which challenges a lot of the preconceptions people have.

Carli: What’s your favourite part of your job?

Ian: I have a good laugh every night I work. People’s excuses as to why they are so drunk are always guaranteed to make me laugh. Some of the better ones I have heard are: ‘I am not drunk, I am dyslexic’ – I believe he meant he was diabetic. Another personal favourite was ‘I am old enough, it tells you my date of birth on Facebook.’ And ‘Yes I am old enough; you can ring my mum and ask!’ It has got to the point in my career when I find drunk people amusing and know that the majority are harmless.

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I have to admit, it is easy to hold a preconception about these people who throw our friends out of clubs, without really thinking what they are responsible for which is our safety. Their job involves a lot more than people think and by speaking with Ian this is something I have realised. Hopefully you have too....

Guest Post: Stephanie Bolton - 'My Sober Lent'

Stephanie Bolton is a Journalism Student at the University of Lincoln and has given up alcohol for Lent....

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I first attempted to give up alcohol for Lent last year. I managed about four and half weeks before I went to a gig and succumbed….

This year, I’m determined not to drink for the whole period. I like the challenge of giving up something for Lent, but I find that giving up alcohol takes much more self-restraint. There’s a lot of peer pressure surrounding drinking on a night out, especially in the student culture, but giving up something that’s so socially acceptable reminds me that I don’t need to drink alcohol to have a good night out.

Standing in a club with a Coke, watching everybody drunkenly stumble to the bar, I feel embarrassed that I am often one of those. But the most worrying thing I find is how walking home sober heightens my sense of awareness. I am much more alert than I am when I’ve been out drinking, which makes me realise what a dangerous situation I often put myself in.

I relish Sunday mornings not spent hungover, being able to remember my night, and I love the fact that I can have a good night out without spending a lot, as non-alcoholic drinks are often much cheaper. I also feel slightly healthier, like I’m giving my body a bit of a detox.

After giving up alcohol last year I’ve found that I now tend to drink less when I go out too. I think it’s a combination of knowing that I can still have a good time, save money, and not waste the next day.

I’m confident that I will last the whole of Lent this year without a drop of alcohol passing my lips.

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I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Stephanie luck! :-) I shall see you on the other side!

St Patrick's Celebration

I did it!

Date: 19th March
Location: Engine Shed, Lincoln.

Carli survived a night out with no drink!

Pre-drinks were relatively easy, I sat sipping Lucozade from a cup and despite the pile of peer pressure that I was subjected to: 'We won't tell anyone' 'No-one will see' I didn't give in! Was I tempted? Yes! Of course I was, the girls were giggling and dancing around in the lounge and kitchen and I was plonked on a chair. I didn't take much persuading into the dancing though and I was strangely more steady on my feet than I would have been had I had a drink.

We headed out to Glasshouse before hitting Engine Shed. And usually I would have joined the girls by having a jug instead I had a lemonade....one boy did walk past and told me to smile more - I am unsure whether this was his attempt at a chat up line or that I did in fact look mardy - so I decided to smile anyway just in case! :-)

I certainly felt the cold more than I would have and I kept yawning - not something that would happen if I had a double vodka and red bull in my system! However I broke through the tiredness and got to Engine Shed at around 11:30pm.

One of the perks of not drinking meant I didn't have to queue for a drink and when I fancied a drink of water I pushed through and asked someone to order one for me - due to it being free they didn't mind getting me one and said it was their 'good deed for the day'.

I have to admit, it wasn't easy not drinking and I did feel like caving in at times - I was very aware of every potential situation and found myself being more conscious of people walking into me and pushing past. It was nice to see people I knew and know that I would remember it in the morning and not have the embarrassment of them telling me they had seen me and me not remembering. I can remember everything!

When I left at 2:45pm I said goodbye to everyone - instead of just toddling home as I usually would - and headed to McDonalds.

One cheeseburger, chips and a Fanta later I was home and in bed.

Sunday arrived quickly and I woke up feeling tired but without the headache and sick feeling I would have had I drank. Whilst everyone else was talking about alcohol sweats and shakes I was OK.

My friend Katie's words have stayed with me: 'I'm really proud of you not drinking tonight'

So am I :-) I can honestly say I had a great night out without the alcohol and would do it again.

13 days down....

I have achieved 13 days and up until last week it wasn't too bad.

On Friday, the sun was shining so it was off to Tower Bar to have a catch up with the girls. Whilst everyone else ordered Kopperbergs I was on blackcurrant squash...

And Sunday morning TV included a section about how to make special St Patricks Day cocktails....

It seems like alcohol is everywhere! It got me thinking however, all of these reference to alcohol are positive ones. None of those situations would involve the police which just shows you don't have to take things too far!

My next big test will be next Saturday when the girls and I head out for the first time since my ban. I'm starting to wonder what I can drink whilst out?! If anyone would like to suggest something feel free to comment below! And no, I don't want to drink water ;-)

BBC Lincolnshire Radio Interview

Here you can find Carli Smith's interview about being a sober student with Rod Whiting on BBC Lincolnshire:

So it seems there are more of us out there.....

Starting off on this 'adventure' at the beginning of March seemed like a lone voyage...

A student that didn't drink, I thought I was alone - However it seems there are more of us out there and it's great to hear from them.

Adrian Burgess, a 3rd year Journalism student at the University of Lincoln, he shares his thoughts on being a 'Sober Student':

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Having a sober night out is an experience I have been familiar with since my first year at university, so operation nova is certainly something I can relate to.

Before I came to University I very rarely drank any alcohol, so when I first arrived in Lincoln I had no real inclination to get drunk. I was more than enthusiastic about going out, I just felt comfortable doing so without the need for alcohol.

I used to find it strange when people asked me how I could go out and not drink and actually have a good time. It was even stranger when they said that they could never do it.

In my opinion, alcohol doesn’t actually enhance your night in any way; it doesn’t give you more confidence and it doesn’t make you have a good time, you just think it does. Getting drunk can be fun, but everyone has the ability to enjoy themselves just as much without it.

Admittedly, this saintly behaviour has slipped considerably throughout my time at university and I have had more than my fair share of drunken episodes. However, I could still quite happily go out stone cold sober and have just as good a night without the influence of alcohol.

I recommend trying it, especially if you know you drink for a bit of Dutch courage just to get on the dance floor or approach the opposite sex. You’ll probably find you have a much more enjoyable night! ;)

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There you have it! Proof that I'm not on my own!