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Don’t drink and drown

Alcohol and Swimming




Why is alcohol and swimming an important issue?


When enjoying the beach some people choose to consume alcohol. Unfortunately, every year due to the effects of alcohol many people get into difficulty both on the beach and in the surf. Many people wouldn’t consider drinking and driving – the same rule should be applied to drinking and swimming.



How does alcohol affect your swimming ability?

Alcohol and similar substances (e.g. drugs) may have several affects such as:

Impaired judgement
  • You may take more risks and overrate your ability in the water
  • Your ability to both identify and manage a dangerous situation becomes impaired

Lack of coordination and reaction time
  • It may affect your senses of sight, sound and touch
  • It may take you longer to react if you get into difficulty in the water
  • Inability to know up from down due to disorientation, which can lead to panic and loss of energy in the water

Inability to control temperature
  • Overheating may result due to dehydration and unawareness of sun exposure
  • Hypothermia could also result depending on conditions

Alcohol and the beach don’t mix
Don’t drink alcohol when at the beach. The risks are far too great and common sense suggests that you shouldn’t drink while enjoying in any aquatic activity such as swimming, boating or fishing.