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Enjoy a Drink... Just Don't Be a Drunk!

Love the party, hate the hangover? Moderate your boozing without ruining your social life.

SET YOUR LIMITS
Most of us don’t know how much alcohol we really drink, so the first thing to do is keep a diary for a week. Once you’ve worked out how many units you knock back, decide how much you need (or want) to moderate your boozing. The government recommends a limit of 14 units of alcohol for women per week, and no more than three per day. (For men, it’s 21 units per week, four per day.)

SLOW DOWN
One of the simplest ways to stay within your limits is to drink slower. If you tend to gulp down your first few glasses, try putting your drink down between sips. Aim to take 20-30 minutes to finish a drink.

WATCH WHERE YOU DRINK
Research has shown that people are more likely to drink heavily in places where the lights are turned down low or the competition is high for sexual partners (for example, women will drink more when there are a lot of women and fewer men around). Conversely, people tend to consume less in the presence of families, in well-lit places, and where there are activities that compete with drinking, such as restaurants.

REFUSE DRINKS
All your good intentions can go out the window if you don’t resist drinks. Try taking your near-empty glass with you if you leave the table for a few minutes, so it doesn’t get filled up in your absence. If friends insist you join in every round, ask for a non-alcoholic drink. If they persist, have a response ready — ‘I have to get up early tomorrow,’ or, ‘I’m detoxing.’

AVOID PRESSURE SITUATIONS
People who successfully make changes to their lives often start out by avoiding temptation for a while. So if you know your friends are going out to get drunk, only join them if you’re feeling strong-willed. If you want to go to a party but don’t trust yourself not to over-drink, pre-order a cab or drive yourself and leave after an hour or two — that way you get the best of both worlds. Or you could sign up for an early-morning exercise class — no one wants to work out with a hangover. Also, swap a night’s drinking for a night of TV/theatre/cinema — activities that don’t require prolonged drinking.

GIVE YOURSELF A REWARD
Shallow but effective! Set yourself a goal, such as drinking ten units less a week for four weeks. Then choose a reward — a shopping spree, perhaps, or a spa day — if you achieve it.

KNOW YOUR TRIGGERS
If you’re a smoker, you’ll already know that smoking and drinking can be strong triggers for each other. Some think you shouldn’t try to give up more than one thing at a time, but research now suggests that quitting smoking can make it easier to cut down on your drinking, too. Other triggers include bad diet, arguments, anxiety, boredom or stress. Be aware of your triggers and guard against them — for example, eat regular meals or phone a sympathetic friend — and you’ll be partying without pain in no time.

HOW MUCH IS ONE UNIT OF ALCOHOL?


For more information, read Controlling Your Drinking: Tools to Make Moderation Work For You, by William R. Miller and Ricardo F.Munoz (£14, Guilford)

Thursday 26 January 2006


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