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  Eat something before you go out. Lining your stomach before drinking alcohol helps you last the night. And you'll have more energy. Good things include pasta, potatoes, pizza, a pint of milk.
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  Start later-last longer. If you know you get drunk quickly, think about starting drinking later in the evening. You'll keep going if you don't start drinking too early - and you'll make it to the club.
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  How will you get home? You might not be so clear- headed by the end of the night. Do you know the last bus or train? Have you got enough money to get home? Lots of people keep their fare home separate from their spending money.

Going out

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  Ever wondered why alcohol can have an effect really quickly? It's because alcohol is made up of small molecules. They pass through your stomach wall into the bloodstream very quickly.
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• Drinking alcohol can make you feel great. The trick is to stay feeling great. You know your limits. You don't have to keep up with the fastest. If you stick with others who drink at the same rate as you, you can take charge of how quickly you drink and how much you spend. If you think the drink is hitting you too quickly, take a break. A small lemonade, water or coke with ice and lemon look just like a short and mixer. In all drinks the alcohol's the same. But different drinks have different colours and flavours.
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• The colours and flavours in wines and spirits are chemical 'impurities' also called congeners. Because of them, and the way they affect the body, it is true for most people that mixing spirits with beer or wine in an evening's drinking will make them feel much worse next day.
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• If you take anything else while out clubbing, change to drinking water, not alcohol. A pint of water every hour and a salty snack such as crisps or peanuts will help maintain the fluid and salt balance of the body.
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Coming home

Make sure you get home safely and that your friends do too. There's no point in spoiling the fun by getting into a fight or spending the night in the cold. Both could be dangerous. Don't leave anyone behind. If they've drunk so much that they're being a pain, you'll need to help them to get home safely. Remember, it could be you one day!

If someone passes out:

• don't leave them on their own
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• call an ambulance and stay where you are
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• help them into the recovery position>>>
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• keep them warm.
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  Vitamin C speeds up the recovery process, so citrus fruit is a good idea, or even a vitamin pill.

Coming round

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  If you're facing a hangover there are some things you can do to make it better.
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• Before you go to bed. Drink plenty of water (a couple of pints or more if you can manage it) and keep some beside the bed.
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• Next day. Keep drinking fluids. Water, milk, soft drinks or cola - whatever works best for you. You feel bad because alcohol dries you out. Your body is also dealing with the colourings and flavourings (impurities) in the drinks. Drinking also lowers your blood sugar level. It can also make you feel down. Tea or coffee can cheer you up.
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• Aspirin or paracetamol will help the headache.You need food too. As soon as you can face it, eat something - cereal and milk, fruit (bananas and citrus fruits are good) and egg on toast will all put back the vitamins and minerals you lose when you drink alcohol. Source: HEBS