{"id":397,"date":"2023-12-14T21:25:14","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T21:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/emily-coggins\/?p=397"},"modified":"2023-12-15T11:12:52","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T11:12:52","slug":"cheap-and-cheerful-trebs-but-at-what-cost-rethinking-newcastles-harmful-drinking-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/emily-coggins\/2023\/12\/14\/cheap-and-cheerful-trebs-but-at-what-cost-rethinking-newcastles-harmful-drinking-habits\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheap and Cheerful Trebs: But at What Cost? Rethinking Newcastle’s Harmful Drinking Habits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Is it time to start sipping more sensibly?<\/p>\n\n\n

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Image credits: Emmie Foster<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Partying, drinking, trebles, students, and nightlife is some of the lexis that people initially tend to associate with the city of Newcastle. But has the reputation of drinking in Newcastle finally reached a stand still?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vibrant student city has built up quite a distinct reputation over the years, mainly due to its representation in the media, via Geordie Shore, and, of course, its strong link to football. This reopens these relevant, valid, and important debates on toxicity surrounding alcohol, with the inclusion of different perspectives from students to event directors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co-editor in Chief and author at The Tab Newcastle and Newcastle University student, Emmie Foster, opened up earlier this year about her concern with the lack of useful conversation around alcohol consumption<\/a>, amongst students in the Toon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After recently speaking to her about her own experiences and her shift in perspective on drinking in the first year of university compared to second year, she expressed some regret when saying, \u201cI prioritised my social life\u201d because she \u201cprobably missed more than she attended\u201d when it came to lectures, which isn\u2019t an ideal outcome when you\u2019re in this city with the end goal of getting a degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listen here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A discussion with The Tab Newcastle’s Co-Editor in Chief, Emmie Foster, covering many aspects of drinking culture and how the perspectives have shifted within Newcastle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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It\u2019s a well-known fact that no amount of alcohol is either healthy or safe, but the NHS recommend adults follow the guideline of drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol regularly<\/a>, per week. \u201c14 units is the equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer\u201d, according to the NHS<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means there are at least 9 units in 3 trebles. When trebles, known locally as trebs, are easily available at the fingertips of most university students in Newcastle; this is an extremely worrying piece of information to comprehend and is something often not considered. Most bars and clubs in Newcastle offer trebs as a trio, which certainly encourages an unhealthy level of drinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s a Treb?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wes Allmark, Director at Groovement UK (an events company covering many of Newcastle\u2019s biggest weekly events) and Treb UK, said: \u201cStudent drinking culture in Newcastle, although it is prominent, is not the excessive and dangerous thing it is often thought to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 He put his own creative spin on the classic treble that Newcastle has become famous for, with his brand Treb UK. Originally introduced to the Newcastle nightlife scene in 2021, the unique and strong beverage remains a hit amongst students in the north.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Blue Treb, taken from their official website – click image.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

After speaking to Wes, he explained that \u201cthe ethos behind the drink is that its proportionally more expensive than a double, so it is not promoting excessive drinking with ridiculous deals.\u201d He has reached almost 500,000 sales within the last 2 and a half years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“But once you have a product that you’re happy with, it goes much further in the modern climate than simply having a few inflatables and cheap shots. Groovy Disco Tech is the prime example.”<\/p>
Wes Allmark, Director at Grovement UK and Treb UK<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n

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Promo for the launch of the Red Treb on instagram: @Treb_uk & @Casa_ncl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In late September 2023, Treb UK announced plans to expand their brand further in North East England. In early December, the Treb UK team took to Instagram to announce a brand new Treb flavour. The launch for the Red Treb was held at Newcastle\u2019s current most popular Friday event, Casa, on December 8th<\/sup>, where the drink was available to buy. Alongside this, it was also launched at The Cut the following day, offering the first 50 attendees a free can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A shift in perspectives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all know that any level of drinking alcohol is far from healthy, yet such a large portion of being a student appears to rely on it. Most social gatherings that occur at uni tend to end in pints, even if you promised yourself it was going to be an ‘early’ night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If someone has ordered too many drinks and is visibly too drunk, or their friend ends up ordering their drink for them, we can’t serve them”<\/p>Rebecca Dillon, Bartender in Jesmond<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Watch the short clip below to see how the toxicity is viewed from behind the bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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