Is it dangerous to drink during swimming or other water activities?
Alcohol is a leading risk factor for drowning and aquatic injury both in Australia and internationally.
- 49% of fatal drowning and 35% of non-fatal drowning is estimated to involve alcohol
- Alcohol is commonly associated with drowning among males, people not wearing a lifejacket, and people swimming alone (including at night and at locations not patrolled by lifeguards).
- Alcohol related drowning deaths is most common among males and young people, at rivers and creeks, as a result of risk-taking behaviour such as jumping into water from trees and bridges, and during the evening and early morning hours
- For drowning, a harmful level of alcohol consumption is a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% or greater.
- For other activities such as boating, this level is likely to be even lower
- Alcohol affects everyone differently and there is no safe amount of alcohol to consume.
- Alcohol begins to impact your body from the first sip but the more you have the greater the impact on your health and wellbeing.
What are the risks and hazards?
There are many ways alcohol increases your risk of injury and death.
These include:
- Alcohol is a depressive drug which can impact and slow reaction times
- Alcohol is a vasodilator, which widens blood vessels, usually near the skin’s surface, leading to increased blood flow which speeds the cooling of your body when in water
- Being under the influence of alcohol can impair your judgement and reduce your inhibitions around water, leading you to take risks
- Alcohol reduces your coordination
- Should you get into trouble in the water, alcohol also reduces the effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
How do I stay safe?
Here are some suggestions to help keep you safe.
- To avoid harm, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council recommends consuming no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day for healthy adults
- If getting in the water or doing any kind of activity in or on the water it is safest to avoid alcohol altogether
- If you are planning to consume alcohol around a body of water, ensure all water-based activity is finished before consuming alcohol
- If you have consumed alcohol do not get back in the water
- Do not consume alcohol if you are the driver or in charge of a powered boat
- Do not consume alcohol if supervising children around the water.