How many times have you said to yourself "That shot of aftershock was so refreshing?"

Drinking is inevitably a major part of student culture, so there would be no point in attempting to make all University of Sunderland students tee total. However, the USSU can attempt to make you aware of your own limits.

It is easy to compare ourselves to statistics and say we aren't that bad, but take a look at how many units of alcohol are in each drink. It is actually pretty scary. It takes one hour to rid your body of one unit of alcohol, so it takes 15 hours to rid your body of 5 pints of premium lager.

One unit of alcohol is equal to half a pint of ordinary (3.5 per cent) lager, a 25ml measure of (40 per cent) spirits or a small glass (125ml) of (9 per cent) wine. A bottle of 11-12 per cent wine contains a huge 8 or 9 units!! and a bottle of regular alchopop is 1.5 units.

So, how many units did you have last time you went out drinking?

Some important things to consider, before you go beyond your limit:

• How many times has your dependable friend or even just some random person looked after you, when you have been out of control?
• We all know our own limits. Before your next big night out, just consider how vunerable you make yourself by walking home alone, when you are over your limit.
• Drinking does not have to mean being out of control. It can be about having fun with your friends, feeling merry and not having anything to regret the next morning.
• How often has drinking too much created more problems than it has solved? Don't live in denial. We all know the health problems related to drinking excessively.
• The happiest people are those who know their limit, have fun, are comfortable with themselves and wake up with no regrets and, best of all ..... no hangover!

Alcohol has the ability to affect the way in which you judge potentially dangerous situations. This can lead to problems:

• Never leave your drink unattended, as it can be tampered with. If you accept a drink from somebody you don't know, try and make it a bottle, as this is harder to tamper with than a pint.
• If you have to leave a night out early, always tell someone before you leave and let them know when you get home.
• If you do see any evidence of drinks being tampered with or you begin to feel unwell, tell a member of bar staff immediately.