The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is supporting calls for people, especially young men, to be cautious near the water whilst under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, as we enter a concerning time of the year for accidental drownings.
As part of the national Don’t Drink and Drown campaign, run by the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), people are being encouraged to take responsibility for their friends on nights out, helping them to avoid routes by water and return home safely.
The campaign specifically targets those aged 18-25, as 46% of accidental drownings in this age group involve alcohol and/or drugs (WAID, 2018-2023). Data from One Poll (2024), a UK nationally representative survey of adults aged 18+, revealed that 3 in 4 young adult drinkers think it is okay to drink alcohol and get into the water. It also highlighted that in the last year, young adult drinkers are three times more likely to have been swimming or have entered the water after drinking alcohol, when compared to older adults.
In addition to backing RLSS UK’s Don’t Drink and Drown campaign, NFCC is calling for the Government to consult on introducing a statutory duty for fire and rescue services (FRSs) in England to respond to inland water incidents. Whilst FRSs already play a key role in inland water rescue, there is no statutory duty on FRSs in England to respond. This can result in discrepancies in equipment, training and standards between FRSs. NFCC says that changing the legal framework could help services to respond to inland water incidents in a more coordinated and effective way.
Chris Kirby, Drowning Prevention Lead for the National Fire Chiefs Council said:
“People tragically die each year because they’ve entered the water under the influence, sometimes deliberately or more often, by accident. Fire and rescue services often respond to these incidents seeing first-hand how easily alcohol and drugs can seriously impede your ability to survive in water. When firefighters enter the water to rescue people, this also places them at risk. If you’ve had a drink, stay away from the water.
“Most people who drown when under the influence of alcohol or drugs, have done so by falling in whilst walking alone near water. As work Christmas parties and gatherings for the festive period take place Don’t Drink and Drown will encourage festive partygoers returning from a night out to #BeAMate and make sure they and their friends take a safe route home away from water.”
RLSS UK is pushing its #BeAMate messaging by encouraging people to:
- Stick together
- Plan a safe route away from water
- Look after one another
For more information and free digital resources on RLSS UK’s Don’t Drink and Drown campaign, visit www.rlss.org.uk.