Tips for drinking less

Going out tonight? Here are some tips on how you can drink less.

  • Don’t drink alcohol before you go out.
  • Buy smaller drinks – have a glass instead of a pint, a single instead of a double.
  • Leave your glass down between sips. 
  • Wait a while before getting another drink.
  • Have a glass of water or try some alcohol free beers, larger or cocktails in between alcoholic drinks.
  • Occupy yourself – play pool, dance, chat.
  • Try not to get into rounds – or if you can’t avoid a round buy yourself a non alcoholic drink when it is your turn.
  • Don’t play drinking games.

Home measures

Home measures tend to be a lot larger than pub ones.  If you are offered a drink when visiting someone, try a bottle or a can instead of a short.  It is easier to watch what you are having.  

Know your limits

If you are honest, you know the point where you start to lose control, or behave differently because of alcohol.  Your main target should be not to have more than this.

Fact or Myth

Alcohol problems are mostly caused by 'alcoholics'.

fact or myth

Myth: Immediate problems like motor accidents, violent assaults and accidental injury are mostly caused by moderate drinkers who occasionally overdo it.

Drinking coffee sobers you up?

fact or myth

Myth: Your liver is like a car with one gear. It can only work at one speed. So there is only one cure for drunkenness - time. Drinking coffee will make you wide awake and drunk. Taking a cold shower will make you cold, wet and drunk.

A 'blackout' is when you pass out from drink?

fact or myth

Myth: It's a type of memory loss. Your friends can recite what you did, but you can't. It is an early warning sign to cut down.

It is not safe to drink when you're pregnant?

fact or myth

Fact: The alcohol enters your baby's bloodstream, therefore the safest thing for your baby is not to drink at all. Regular heavy drinking can cause foetal alcohol syndrome, which causes serious developmental problems for your baby's development.

Women can't 'hold' their drink as well as men?

fact or myth

Fact: Men have more bodily fluids than women, so alcohol is more diluted in their systems. This goes even for women and men of the same height and build.

Alcohol causes as much damage to society as heroin?

fact or myth

Myth: Alcohol causes much more damage than heroin and all the other illegal drugs put together. It is a factor in 88% of public order offences, 34% of marital breakdowns and 33% of fatal road accidents.

There's nothing to do around here except drink?

fact or myth

Myth: Drinking is a big feature of Irish social life, but is not the only pastime. Take a minute to think of three non-drinking things you could do. It's just a matter of looking at things differently.

Fact Myth
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