PARTYGOERS are being urged to stick together, look out for each other and arrange safe transport home over the festive season.

That's the message from Safer South Gloucestershire Community Safety and Drugs Partnership as they promote safe and sensible drinking over the Christmas and New Year period.

The partnership, whose core members include the Primary Care Trust and the police, is keen to encourage partygoers to keep safe and drink responsibly.

Those who enjoy drinking alcohol are advised to stay within the recommended limits; drinking to excess can make you vulnerable when you're out and increase the risk of you becoming a victim of crime.

If you are driving, the advice from the police is don't drink at all, rather than getting hung up on 'safe limits'.

One drink alone is enough to have an effect on your reactions and perceptions that can put your own and other people's lives at risk. Remember you could still be over the limit in the morning after the night before.

John Kelly, head of Safer South Gloucestershire, said: "We want you to enjoy the festive period, but know your limits and drink safely, sociably and sensibly.

"The safe use and misuse of alcohol has a big impact on the safety of individuals and communities, and can be a contributing factor to wider issues such as anti-social behaviour, violent crime and domestic violence.

"If you drink to excess on a night out, you are putting yourself at greater risk of robbery, assault, sexual assault or an accident."

There are health warnings that come with excessive drinking too, such as chronic liver disease, stomach cancer and alcohol poisoning.

Chris Payne, director of public health at South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust, said: "We hope everyone can enjoy themselves but not by binge drinking. People need to take care of themselves so that they do not cause any long-term health risks such as heart or liver disease or even a stroke.

"In the immediate sense they could put themselves at risk to other problems such as accidents, violence or unprotected sex."

Safer South Gloucestershire, in line with the Government's Know Your Limits campaign, recommends that you don't drink more than three to four units of alcohol a day if you are male and no more than two to three units of alcohol per day if you are female.

A standard 175ml glass of white or red wine at 11 per cent contains 1.9 units of alcohol, while a pint of standard strength lager of four per cent contains 2.3 units.

Binge drinking is defined as drinking at least four big glasses of wine or four pints of regular beer if you are male; for women it is at least three big glasses of wine or three pints of regular beer.

Safer South Gloucestershire works with its partners to deliver a wide range of services with regard to alcohol, ranging from education and treatment for adults and young people, to joint operations and campaigns with the police and trading standards.

The partnership also works with communities to raise awareness about the harm caused by alcohol misuse and to provide them with support in tackling alcohol-related crime.

They will be launching an alcohol strategy in 2008 which will lead to increased treatment and support for alcohol service users.

The strategy has been developed working closely with South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust and other partners.