With Christmas and New Year’s Eve just around the corner, there are plenty of opportunities to drink alcohol.
While it’s OK to enjoy yourself during the silly season, it pays to drink responsibly. Here are some tips to help you be a responsible drinker.
1. Know your limits
Don’t drink too much, and don’t drink too quickly.
In practice, this basically looks like having one drink per hour, with a non-alcoholic drink like water in between drinks.
When you feel drunk, stop drinking.
2. Don’t drink and drive
If you have to drive, don’t drink.
Alcohol is a depressant drug that slows down your reaction speed, which means if you need to think and act quickly, you probably won’t be able to.
Make arrangements for how you’ll get home before you go out, like booking a taxi or Uber.
3. Avoid mixing alcohol and other drugs
This includes both prescription drugs and recreational drugs.
And, make sure you know how alcohol will react with any medications you’re on.
4. Use common sense
If it doesn’t sound like a good idea, it probably isn’t one.
If you’re not comfortable with the environment you’re in or are worried about bad things happening, just call it a night.
5. Do things differently
Mix things up – be the designated driver, carry bottles of water with you, or simply turn down an invite to a boozy party.
Your body will thank you for it!
Need help?
If you’ve tried drinking responsibly and it’s not working, you could have a drinking problem.
The easiest and quickest way to get help is to talk to someone about it. The sooner you open up about what you’re going through, the sooner you’ll start to feel a bit better.
For a confidential chat with one of our doctors, please make a booking today. You can easily make a booking online.
Source: reachout.com
Note: This information is of a general nature only and should not be substituted for medical advice. It does not replace consultations with qualified healthcare professionals to meet your individual medical needs. Page last updated 9 December 2022.