How To Drink Sensibly
So your out with your mates for another night of heavy drinking? To help you minimise the risks associated with excessive alcohol we're now going to show you how to continue enjoying your drink without compromising your safety and security. Learn how to drink alcohol safely.
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Step 1:
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Recommended Limits
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So how much is regarded as safe to drink? A 'unit of alcohol' is defined as 10ml of alcohol, with men being advised to drink no more than 3-4 units per day, and women not more than 2-3 units per day.
As a guide, a pint of ordinary strength lager, cider or bitter contains 2 units; a strong lager, cider or bitter, 3 units; a 175ml Red or White wine contains 2 units; a standard spirit measure equates to 1 unit; and a bottled alcopop is roughly 1.5 units
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Step 2:
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Line Your Stomach
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Drinking on an empty stomach leads people to become drunk more quickly, as the passageway between the stomach and small intestine is wide open and it is here that alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream at a faster rate. To close this passageway and slow this process eat food that takes a long time to digest before you go out, such as bread, cheese and pasta. A pint of milk is also thought to have the same effect.
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Step 3:
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Control the Purse Strings
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Limit the money you take with you and leave Debit or Credit cards at home. This will help you to pace your drinking by controlling what you spend over the whole evening. Not only will you consume less than you may have done otherwise, you will also feel better about that bank account when you wake up in the morning!
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Step 4:
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Drinking plan
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Peer pressure can force you to drink at a faster rate than you may want, so try to avoid joining in when your friends are buying rounds.
Alternate your alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks as this will help to counteract the dehydrating effects of alcohol on the body.
Avoid mixing drinks wherever possible as this only adds to the number of toxins your body is trying to deal with.
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Step 5:
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Personal safety
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Don't leave your drink unattended and only accept a drink from a stranger if you've gone to the bar with them as drink spiking is an increasing problem. If you think you've been assaulted as a result of a spiked drink call the police as soon as possible. For more guidance on your personal safety please see VideoJug 'How to stay safe on a night out.'
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Step 6:
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Getting Home
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The safest way to ensure you get home after a night on the tiles is to go home with a friend or to book a taxi in advance before you go out. If this isn't possible or plans change then only get into licenced mini-cabs. If your going home with a designated driver make sure that they haven't succumbed to peer pressure and put themselves over the drink-drive limit. Driving under the influence is a serious criminal offence and may not only endanger your life but also the lives of others.
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Step 7:
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Remember
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The Department of Health recommend at least 2 days of a week to be alcohol-free, and if your finding this hard to achieve then you may be developing a degree of alcohol dependency.
For more advice and support on drinking in regards to yourself or others, call Drinkline - the National Alcohol Helpline - on 0800 917 822. All calls are free and confidential.
