Run Game Practice

Safe nights out: drinks, getting home and watching your friends

6 min read

A safe night out comes down to three things you decide before the first drink: how you'll watch your drink, how each person gets home, and who's keeping an eye on whom. None of it takes much effort, and all of it is easier to agree on at 7 p.m. than at 1 a.m. It applies to guys as much as anyone, because drink spiking and alcohol harm don't skip men.

Your drink

The UK government's guidance on spiking, published by the Home Office on 21 December 2023, says plainly that "spiking can happen to anyone," women and men. It's a crime, and the page adds that you have the right not to be spiked. The same page also says you shouldn't have to avoid venues or guard your drink constantly. Both things are true: it's not your fault if it happens, and a few habits still lower the odds.

The GOV.UK page doesn't list ways to protect your drink. These are habits people commonly use, offered as general advice:

These are advice, and no habit is a guarantee.

What it looks like

The Home Office page lists signs in yourself or someone you're with: confusion or disorientation, nausea or vomiting, poor coordination or vision, trouble communicating, memory loss and blackouts. That list overlaps with plain heavy drinking. A useful test is the pattern: if someone is much more impaired than the amount they drank would explain, or it hits fast, take it seriously.

If you think you've been spiked, the guidance says to get medical help (999 or 111 in the UK), ask others or venue staff to help, and report it to police (999 or 101) as soon as possible. If you're with someone who may have been spiked, it says to call for help for them, stay with them and, if they're well enough, see them home. It notes some drugs leave the body in under 12 hours, and that police can take a urine sample up to 7 days after an incident. It also says not to rely on self-testing kits, which it says "may not be as effective and may weaken building a case against a perpetrator." In the US, the equivalent is calling 911 for emergencies.

Pacing

The CDC (page dated 14 January 2025) defines binge drinking as four or more drinks for women or five or more for men on one occasion. It lists injuries from motor vehicle crashes, falls, drownings and burns among the short-term harms of excessive drinking. Those figures describe population risk, not a safe line for you. How you're affected depends on your weight, food, sleep and what's in the glass.

Ways people pace themselves, which are rules of thumb:

Drinking and dating goes through what counts as a drink and how to turn one down without a speech.

Getting home

Decide the ride before you leave, not at closing time.

One more rule of thumb: nobody gets left at the venue because "he's fine." If he's fine, a friend can see him into the car.

Watching your friends

Spotting a problem early is mostly a habit of glancing around every so often. Agree on two or three things with your group before you go:

  1. A check-in point or time ("we meet by the door at midnight").
  2. A signal for "I want to leave" that doesn't need an explanation.
  3. A rule that nobody leaves with someone new without telling the group first, and that anyone can ask "you good?" without it being awkward.

If a friend is far drunker than the rest of you expected, get them water, move them somewhere calm and stay with them. If you're not sure, treat it as serious.

When it's an emergency

NIAAA's page (last updated December 2025) lists signs of alcohol overdose: mental confusion or stupor, difficulty staying conscious or being unable to wake, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing (fewer than 8 breaths a minute), irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths), slow heart rate, clammy skin, dulled responses such as no gag reflex, and extremely low body temperature, bluish skin or paleness. It says to call 911 immediately if you suspect an overdose, and not to wait for every symptom, since a person who has passed out can die. Then:

The same page says coffee, cold showers and walking don't reverse an overdose and can make things worse, and that it's dangerous to assume someone who's unconscious will sleep it off. Blood alcohol can keep rising after a person stops drinking or passes out.

If you see a stranger who seems spiked or unwell with no one helping, the Home Office guidance says to tell venue staff and offer support.

When you're the one who needs to leave

Leaving early is normal. A short text to the group ("heading out, home by 12:30, will text") is enough, and you don't owe anyone an explanation.

Meeting people on a night out is a separate question, covered in night game and how to approach in a club. For consent when alcohol is involved, see alcohol, drugs and consent. If you're meeting someone you've just met, first date safety has the basics.

What to do next

  1. Before you go, text two friends the plan: where, who, and how each person gets home.
  2. Set your limit and say it to one friend. Eat something first.
  3. Pick a check-in time with the group and a signal for "let's leave."
  4. Charge your phone and save a ride app or a taxi number.
  5. Alternate water with every alcoholic drink, and keep your hand on your glass.
  6. Learn the emergency steps above (call, stay, upright or on the side). Read them once now, not when you need them.
  7. Next morning, text everyone to confirm they got home.

Sources