Festive drinkers in Nottinghamshire are being urged to look after their friends on a night out after stats revealed the county has almost double the national percentage average for intoxicated drownings.

As part of the Royal Life Saving Society UK’s national Don’t Drink and Drown campaign, this year running from 2-8 December, local revellers are being asked not to let any of their friends walk home alone and to watch RLSS UK’s brand-new film to see how easily a fun night out can turn into tragedy.

Latest statistics revealed 12 people have accidentally drowned in Nottinghamshire over the last five years and 50% of these were found to have had alcohol and/or drugs in their system, significantly higher than the national percentage average.

There were 1,4581 accidental deaths in the UK between 2014-2018 and more than 30% of the victims had alcohol and/or drugs in their bloodstream. Many of them drowned because they walked home alone and fell in the water.

Jo Thompson, RLSS UK Community Drowning Prevention Coordinator for the Nottinghamshire area, said: “It’s a sad truth that the number of drownings increase in the winter period, more often than not because of intoxication.

“Families, friends and whole communities are left devastated every year because someone walks home alone whilst under the influence and falls into the water.

“We’re urging people to stay together on a night out. Make sure their friends get home safe and don’t let them walk anywhere, especially near water, alone.”

The Don’t Drink and Drown campaign, this year running from 2 to 8 December, was launched in 2014 following a string of tragic drownings of young people. RLSS UK was keen to prevent more tragedies, by targeting at risk groups in hot spot areas, at particular points in the year where alcohol related drowning incidences increase – September (at the start of the new university term) and December (during the festive period).

As part of the campaign, organisations up and down the country promote water safety messaging and run awareness activities urging revellers to take care near water whilst under the influence of alcohol and/or.

Stay Safe this Christmas:
Don’t walk home near water, you might fall in
Look out for your friends, make sure they get home safely
Don’t enter the water if you have been drinking
Alcohol seriously affects your ability to get yourself out of trouble

For more information on RLSS UK’s Don’t Drink and Drown campaign visit www.rlss.org.uk follow the campaign on #DontDrinkandDrown, or call 0300 3230 096.