MORE than 300,000 people in the North-East could be putting their job prospects on the line by drinking too much at this year's Christmas work do, according to a new survey.

But it's not just the office party which causes problems - more than half of 18-24-year-olds interviewed by drinks giant Diageo Great Britain have found themselves in a compromising situation at the end of a night out.

Diageo found that nearly one in six people interviewed in the North-East admitted to having embarrassed themselves on a date due to drink, which is in line with the national average.

And one in ten 18-24 year olds revealed that there had been times when they were so drunk that they couldn't tell the taxi driver where they lived.

Some of those people who can't handle their drinks end up visiting their local accident and emergency department at Christmas or New Year after falling over, getting into a fight or just being found dead drunk.

Mr Kean Chew, a consultant surgeon in accident and emergency at James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, reckons that at times of peak attendance, such as weekends and the early hours of New Year's Day, more than 75 per cent of people who come into casualty have problems which are drink-related.

"Excess drinking can lead to problems, especially when it is combined with cold weather and people fall over on the ice," says Mr Chew.

In the past, people found drunk had their stomachs pumped but nowadays, unless they have some other injury and may need a scan, "we just let them sleep it off," the surgeons says.

Occasionally, drunken revellers cause difficulties for hospital staff but this Christmas and New Year, at least two uniformed police officers will be on duty at the A&E department to keep a lid on bad behaviour.

As part of their campaign to promote pleasurable but responsible drinking, Diageo suggests that before going on a big night out, you should:

Have a meal before you start drinking and keep nibbling to slow down alcohol absorption

Alternate alcoholic drinks with water to stay refreshed

Know what a unit is and how many are in each drink

Avoid top-ups so you can keep track of your unit intake

Have soft drink "spacers" between drinks to help you pace yourself

Think about how you are going to get home before you go out

Apart from excessive drinking, most people find they eat too much over the festive season, putting on pounds and suffering the various indignities of indigestion, heartburn, wind and nausea.

While some will reach for the old stand-bys like Resolve, Alka-Selzer and Gavascon, how about having a spoonful of olive oil mixed with fruit juice before you go out?

Olive oil is just one of a range of widely-available foods which can be harnessed to help us through times of over-indulgence, according to Rumana Ramzan, a Darlington-based natural health practitioner whose clients include visitors to Seaham Hall's upmarket Serenity Spa.

Rumana, who combines an interest in nutrition, herbal medicine and homeopathy, says drinkers should think about visiting their local health food shop or supermarket before they head for the pub or restaurant.

"If you know you are going to be drinking a lot you should take some evening primrose oil tablets before you go out, or alternatively you can take the Eskimo pure fish oil brand, or Udo's, which includes a mix of different essential oils, omega 3s and 6s."

Otherwise, you can choose "good old olive oil, which most people have in their kitchens," says Rumana. "Try to have a tablespoon of olive oil with some juice before you go out. It will prepare your system before drinking."

The therapist, who also works with doctors from a large GP practice in Newcastle, says oils are helpful when people are drinking because alcohol reduces the amount of essential fatty acids in our bodies.

"It's why people with hangovers often fancy a greasy fried breakfast because their body wants oil. But a fry-up will give you the wrong kind of oils, it is better to have pure omega 3 and omega 6 oils such as fish oil and evening primrose oil," she adds.

"It is good to drink water before, during and after a lot of alcohol but people don't realise that oils help to oxygenate the body and help the liver to deal with toxins."

For the morning after, Rumana suggests that drinking fresh fruit or vegetable juices can help you recover, particularly freshly squeezed carrot juice.

"Alcohol makes the system quite acidic and you should try to balance it with lots of more alkaline things. This where your fresh fruit and vegetables come in."

People who are suffering after a heavy night drinking or a big festive meal should also think about nibbling root ginger. "It is really excellent for nausea. Either chew a little root ginger, or if that is too hot for you, you can grate it into a mug and drink it like tea after ten minutes," Rumana suggests.

Like ginger, peppermint tea is an excellent idea if you are feeling green about the gills after a big blow-out. "While ginger is very good for balancing the acidity in your system, if you have had a big meal, what is very palatable is peppermint tea," says Rumana, who points to the tradition of serving after-dinner mints to back her up.

Other sauces which are traditionally eaten with meats, such as apple sauce and mint sauce, are also eaten because of their beneficial effect on digestion.

Parsley is another commonly used herb which is very good for our stomachs. "People put fresh parsley on the plate but it often gets removed because everyone thinks it is purely there for decoration. That's a shame because it is very good if you eat it," Rumana says.

So far so good, but would anyone think of chewing fennel or drinking fennel tea, a herb well-known in India as promoting good digestion?

Sage also helps the digestive juices, while rosemary is beneficial for headaches and emotional upset.

Before you start out on the round of big meals and lots to drink, you should try to ensure there is room for all that food and liquor.

"It is important not to be suffering constipation if you are going to eat and drink a lot. If you are taking in lots of extra food, you must make sure that the toxins don't get stuck in your system," says Rumana.

To keep you regular, she suggests eating dried fruit such as figs and apricots. Washing down nuts and seeds with prune juice also helps.

If all of this is a bit too alternative, you can always turn to your high street pharmacist. For the morning after, Boots pharmacist Maeve O'Connell advises drinking a pint of water before you go to bed, when you get up and then every hour during the day.

"Take a pain-killer such as ibuprofen, aspirin or paracetamol to relieve the pain of the headache," she says.

Along with the more traditional remedies for indigestion, Maeve recommends the homeopathic remedy nux vomica. "You may find it helps to take two 30-minute walks per day and snack on fruit, not chocolate. Avoid eating at least two hours before going to bed," she adds.

Apart from traditional antacids, you could also consider buying tablets containing an acid-suppressant called ranititidine. Boots Excess Acid Relief is effective for up to 12 hours, but should not be used longer than two weeks.

But whatever you do, you should still aim to have festive fun.

As Mr Chew says: "We don't want to be killjoys, we want everybody to enjoy themselves but just watch what you drink."

Rumana Ramzan is running a detox programme in Darlington and Newcastle starting in February. For more information ring (01325) 722803 or visit www.rumanahealth.com