Free soft drinks for tooters fans

Tooters will now provide free soft drinks as an incentive to help students make good drinking choices on a Friday night. 

The decision was made by Charlotte Britton, the welfare officer, along with Nathan Welsh and Karen Hardy, of JC’s and Diva’s. 

Mr Welsh said: “it helps to promote safe drinking, as well as give a soft drink option instead of water. 

“We are aware there might be a problem with people bringing in alcohol to add to soft drinks, but our current bag check policy will cover this anyway.” 

Miss Britton said it was important to encourage safe drinking, not dictate it. 

She said: “We’re not here to control what people drink, but that doesn’t stop the amount some of us consume being dangerous.

“If making soft drinks free encourages anyone to have a coke between their other drinks, or a lemonade when they’re thirsty after dancing then that’s brilliant. 

“It’s also less obvious that you’re having a non-alcoholic drink if you have a soft-drink than if you grab water – although if that’s what you want, water has always been free!” 

The NUS has already run campaigns with great success across seven different Unions including Leeds, Loughborough and Kent to trial the idea. 

In only one instance was there a notable problem of people using the free soft drinks as mixers, and even then the benefits were considered as outweighing the problems. 

The trials also make note of more positive environments, with few cases of extreme intoxication and fewer fights.