South Yorkshire ambulance chiefs issue alcohol warning to Mad Friday revellers.
The advice has been issued by Yorkshire Ambulance Service bosses, with alcohol one of the leading causes of accidents in the UK.The Trust said it usually sees an increase in the number of 999 calls on the last Friday before Christmas - ‘Mad Friday’ - but with Christmas Day falling on a weekend this year they are gearing up for busy nights on Friday, December 16 and 23.Dr David Macklin, the Trust’s Executive Director of Operations, said: “The high number of calls we receive in the run-up to Christmas and through to the New Year puts us under considerable pressure and makes it more challenging for us to respond to all of our patients as quickly as we would like to. “We are a lifeline for patients who find themselves in a genuine life-threatening emergency such as having a heart attack, but our staff are often caught up in looking after people who have drunk excessively or have sustained alcohol-related injuries which could have been avoided. "We don’t want to spoil people’s fun on a night out, but we are urging them to drink responsibly to avoid the need to call 999 and keep ambulances available for seriously ill patients who really need them. “It’s a good idea for people to leave their cars at home and use public transport or arrange alternative transport such as a taxi.
"If you are going out and know that you'll be driving the next day be aware of your limits and don’t drive until you know that all the alcohol has left your system.
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Hide Ad"There are lower strength drinks available and drinking singles rather than doubles when drinking spirits will help. It’s also a good idea to alternate the alcoholic drinks you do have with soft drinks or water and stop drinking alcohol well before the end of the night so your body has time to process the alcohol before the following morning.”