Students report on workshop about alcohol and its unrecognised effects

Health education specialist Dr Aric Sigman visited Fifth Year students this week to speak about the unrecognised effects of alcohol.

Student Bilal Ismail reports:

“Dr Sigman talked about the effects of alcohol on younger people and the repercussions of excessive consumption. This included how binge drinking affects brain function, potentially resulting in a decline in school grades, and how drinking reduces judgement and co-ordination, increasing the risk of being injured.

Dr Sigman’s talk provided information that is rarely shared in the media, and made me realise that it is important to inform students about the dangers of alcohol before it is too late. Statistics prove that the earlier children learn about alcohol, the less likely they are to develop an alcohol related problem later in life. 

Through Dr Sigman’s wittiness and his regular use of real-life examples, we engaged with the presentation and were able to understand the dangers of alcohol. Dr Sigman addressed the social pressures surrounding the consumption of alcohol and shared helpful tactics we could use if we find ourselves within a drinking culture. It is crucial that talks about alcohol, such as Dr Sigman’s, are more common and readily available for young people so that they feel confident addressing a topic that they may otherwise not feel comfortable discussing”.

Benet Kola added: “The talk raised many issues I wasn’t aware of, such as the effects on the Hippocampus. It was very interesting to hear that the majority of incidents, such as car accidents, are related to alcohol; I believe it is vital for people to access the same knowledge, in order to spread awareness about the negative effects of alcohol.” 

Surya Vijayanand commented: “Dr. Aric Sigman was a very funny, informative and engaging speaker who taught us the science behind excessive alcohol consumption. I would say he is the best speaker I have ever listened to and hope he can deliver more talks to us in the future”. 

Henry Bishop concluded: “Dr. Sigman gave an entertaining presentation. He delivered a balance of information and humour in an accessible and useful way”.