Universities warned over dangerous initiation ceremonies

Universities UK is warning institutions on the dangers of student initiation ceremonies after a coroner ruled last year that students risk death by drinking dangerous amounts of alcohol.

Together with Newcastle University, the vice-chancellors’ body published guidance on 23 September for universities on how to combat unsafe levels of drinking and poor behaviours during initiation ceremonies, which are common during freshers week.

Universities UK (UUK) said the briefing was issued as a response to the death of Ed Farmer, a Newcastle University student who died after an initiation event in 2016. In October 2018, a coroner investigating the death warned that more students could die because they are “unaware of the risks of consuming large quantities of alcohol over a short period of time.”