With Covid-19 restrictions easing, clubs and bars are opening back up. For the first time in a long time, we can go out with our friends, drink and have a night away from home. Having a night out is a great way to spend time with your friends and meet new people. Yet, there are still many safety precautions we should follow to ensure our night out, doesn’t turn into a mess.
- Stay with your friends
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One of the most important tips when going out is to always be near your friends or stay in contact with them throughout the night if you decide to go home with someone else. Staying in close proximity is very helpful if someone needs a quick escape from a situation they’re in. Going to the washroom together is a good way to get away from the bigger crowd and converse on how you see your night going (if you want to stay longer/leave, feel uncomfortable, etc.). As well, if you’re walking home at night as many students do when they live close to the bar, then it’s always better to walk home with someone you know rather than alone- especially if you’ve been drinking a lot.
- watch your drink
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There are too many occasions where people have been drugged at bars and clubs. It’s sad that we need to be so careful about our surroundings and drinks, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Buying your own drinks or watching them being poured is a way to help ensure nothing happens before it’s in your hand. Covering the drink while dancing can help prevent someone from slipping something in it when you aren’t fully paying attention to it. There are also many new innovations that can help prevent drinks from being spiked such as the NightCap, which is a scrunchie-turned-cup cover. No matter how safe you can be, sometimes things do happen, so if you start feeling off always let someone know.
- Keep your phone on you and charged
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There’s nothing worse than going to the bar and realizing you left your phone at home or seeing that it’s dead. Having your phone on you is very important to stay in contact with your friends or call someone who isn’t with you in case you need to be picked up or something is wrong. It’s also necessary if you need to call a taxi or order an Uber to get home. The last thing you want is to be stuck at a bar alone or have no way of contacting your friends when you aren’t with them.
- know your way home
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Having a plan on how you’re getting home should happen before you get to the bar or club. Whether it be you’re going to walk, take an Uber, have a designated driver or have someone not there with you come to pick you up, having a plan beforehand makes it a lot easier when you are trying to leave. Also, be careful when using rideshare programs such as UberPool, especially if you’re drunk, because you never know the intentions of other riders when they see a drunk girl stumbling into her house.
- let someone else know where you are going
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Telling someone who isn’t going with you to the bar or club where you’re going is a good safety precaution to keep in mind. Having someone else know your location, who isn’t also intoxicated, can be beneficial if you need anything during the night. You can text them when you get home so they know you are safe, and if you don’t text then they can realize something may be wrong.
- know your limits
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Having a night out with drinking is a lot of fun but always be careful to know your limit, especially when you’re out somewhere with a bunch of people you don’t know. Throwing up in a bar bathroom is one of the last things you want to be doing, so remember to check in with yourself throughout the night.
Taking these safety measures can help ensure you stay safer during the night and are easy tips that can make any plan go smoother. Also remember to have fun, don’t let your thoughts of something going wrong consume you!