Copenhagen nights out end in black-outs, vomiting

Three out of every five international students and staff have lost their memory, vomited or otherwise harmed themselves after a night of binge drinking

by Luci Ellis

If Saturday night is a black hole in your memory, and you have no idea how you staggered home, you are not alone.

And if the worst that has happened to you after one too many Carlsberg is memory black-out, then you are perhaps one of the lucky ones.

This is according to the latest University Post Drinks and Drugs survey. The survey, though unscientific, seems to confirm an earlier straw survey by the University Post that puts the average consumption at 11.8 alcohol units a week.

Vomiting in public, bike crashes and even potentially life-threatening dips in the ice-cold harbour are common occurrences among international students, after a night on the town in Copenhagen. And PhDs and staff are apparently no better.

Three out of five University of Copenhagen foreign students and staff members have either suffered black outs, vomited or damaged themselves due to excessive drinking.

Come to Copenhagen, and drink more

Seven out of ten exchange students have changed drinking habits since they came to Copenhagen. By ‘change’, the students mean an increase in consumption, the survey shows.

Drinking is perceived as an integral part of student life in Copenhagen.

»It would be difficult to live in Copenhagen as an exchange student and not go out drinking at least once or twice a week, since you would be missing out on a major part of student social life,« explains one exchange student.

Or, as one full degree student puts it: »There is no student function that doesn’t involve copious amounts of alcohol.«

Read article: Danes are notorious binge drinkers here.

Abstaining is a social handicap

Indeed, choosing not to drink can prove to be a social handicap, according to several written responses in the survey.

A full-degree student from Ireland was shunned by her peers for not drinking:

»I find the reaction here is much stronger than in Ireland when I say I don’t want to drink alcohol. People have turned away and won’t talk to me anymore. It is ridiculous and ignorant.«

Read also article: Hash is everywhere, but hard drugs are rare here.

Read also a previous article about Erasmus students adopting Danish drinking habits here.

luci@adm.ku.dk

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