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Drinking alcohol in moderation is an enjoyable and usually harmless feature of student life. However, getting drunk regularly and binge drinking canÌýseriously affect your healthÌýphysical, social and academic effects.

At ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ we are committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our students. We strongly believe that a healthy lifestyle offers the best opportunity of academic success. We encourage all our students to take their own welfare seriously by eating and sleeping well, taking regular exercise and, if they choose to drink alcohol, doing so in moderation.

The website provides information about alcohol consumption, a calculator to show you how many units you are drinking and the effects this can have on you, as well as recommended drinking guidelines and ways you can reduce the amount that you drink. You can download their free . For further information, help and advice, check out .

The website contains the government guidelines on how many units are in drinks and if you are drinking too much. The Alcohol Education Trust offers .

You may feel enticed or even pressured to experiment with drugs at university, but drugs are illegal for a reason. A small but significant proportion of regular drug users can become reliant on cannabis or even addicted to stronger drugs like heroin or cocaine.

Visit the website for detailed, evidence-based information. The Priory Group have put together an interactive webpage which gives information about the . For further information, help and advice, check out ÌýandÌý.

Be aware that disciplinary procedures for misconduct can result if a student uses and/or supplies drugs on university or SUÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ premises or any associated third-party premises such as student accommodation. Depending on the class of drug, possession can carry a prison sentence and ultimately affect your place at ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥.

As with alcohol, there can be a lot of social pressure for students to smoke. Ìý

Smoking increases your risk of lung cancer and heart disease. It prematurely ages the skin, increases the risk of celluliteÌýand triples your chance of getting wrinkles around your eyes and mouth. It also causes impotence and reduced sperm count in men and reduces fertility in women.ÌýIt can lead to gum disease, makesÌýthe body store fat aroundÌýinternal organsÌýand put you at greater risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.Ìý

Don’t assume that smoking will help you through the stress of exams. Medical evidence shows that smoking doesn’tÌýactually calmÌýyou down. It’s simply that nicotine cravings between cigarettes make you feel stressed and anxious, so when you have one you feel temporarily calm. You’ll feel less stressed once you quit and no longer have cravings.Ìý

If you’re already a smoker, becoming a student could be the ideal time to quit. Going to universityÌýcan be aÌýfresh start, providing the opportunity for a more positive and healthier lifestyle.ÌýFind out how the  or contact .

Legal, or herbal,Ìýhighs are untested and unregulated, are often stronger than other illegal drugs and cannot legally be sold for human consumption.Ìý

It’s important to know they are not safe to take and neither are they guaranteed to be legal. So-called legal highs can cause serious side effects and have been linked to emergency hospital admissions, where the consequences can be fatal. Mixing NPS with alcohol or other drugs can also be harmful.

They are also known as New Psychoactive Substances or NPS. The UK Psychoactive Substances Act came into effect onÌý26 MayÌý2016, whichÌýbanned NPS.ÌýThis legislation makes it an offence to produce, supply, offer to supply, possess with intent to supply, import or export (including over the internet) any psychoactive substances.Ìý

For more information visit the  o°ù  websites.Ìý