THE Welsh Ambulance Service is urging University students to behave responsibly this upcoming Freshers Week.

Freshers Week is a week-long event for first-year University students in which they make friends and let their hair down before lectures begin.

It has become a rite of passage for new students, but partying and alcohol consumption can lead to injury and illness, which in turn generates calls to 999.

The Welsh Ambulance Service is asking students to behave sensibly.

In a video message shared on social media, Director of Operations Lee Brooks said: “Starting University is a cause for celebration as students embark on a new chapter in their lives, and rightly so.

“Freshers Week is a great opportunity to meet new people and socialise, but we’re still in the throes of a global pandemic so we’re asking people to celebrate responsibly.

“First and foremost, please follow the advice of Public Health Wales when it comes to face coverings, social distancing and gatherings indoors to reduce your risk of contracting coronavirus.

“We’re also asking people to drink in moderation, because every minute our colleagues spend with someone experiencing the effects of excess alcohol is one which could be spent helping another person whose life is at risk.

“Look out for your friends, plan your transport home and make sure there is enough medication in the house to help with the effects of over-indulgence or minor injuries which can be treated at home.”

There are more than half a dozen university towns across Wales, including Wrexham, Bangor, Aberystwyth, Swansea and Cardiff.

To help students adjust to university life, Public Health Wales is offering everyone in Wales over the age of 16 free access to a new online self-help video course designed to improve their mental health.

The four part ‘ACTivate Your Life’ course has been designed by a clinical psychologist to share practical and effective ways of dealing with thoughts and feelings that might be causing stress.