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Monthly Health Tip

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TIPS TO REDUCE ALCOHOL USE

  • Don’t Drink Alcohol If You’re Thirsty: Alcohol does not quench your thirst but in fact makes you more dehydrated. If you are thirsty drink water as this will help prevent dehydration. You will drink much faster if you are thirsty, so start with non-alcoholic drinks and alternate with alcoholic drinks.
  • Drink Slowly: Take sips and not gulps and put your glass down between sips. Only have one drink at a time and do not let people top up your drinks as it is much harder to keep track of how much alcohol you have drunk.
  • Eat Before Or Whilst Drinking: Eating slows your drinking pace and fills you up, if you have a full stomach, alcohol will be absorbed more slowly. Avoid salty snacks, salty foods like chips or nuts make you thirsty, so you drink more.
  • Pace Yourself: Try having a ‘spacer’, a non-alcoholic drink every second or third drink. Try drinks with a lower alcohol content.
  • Stay Busy: If you have something to do, you tend to drink less. Play pool or dance, don’t just sit and drink
  • Be Assertive: Do not be pressured into drinking more than you want or intend to. Don’t get involved in ‘shouts’, or rounds, drink at your own pace not someone else’s. If you do get stuck in a shout, buy a non-alcoholic drink for yourself when it’s your turn. If you participate in rounds of drinks, try to include some non-alcoholic drinks.
  • Try the Low-Alcohol Alternative: A wide range of light beers are available. Low-alcohol or non-alcoholic wines are also becoming more available. Most places that serve cocktails also serve non-alcoholic versions.
  • Use Standard Drinks: Know how much alcohol is in what you drink so you are aware of the amount of alcohol you are consuming and therefore you know when you have had enough. Set limits for yourself and stick to them. Use standard drinks: Monitor how much alcohol you drink (by converting what you drink into standard drinks, it is easier to keep track of your total alcohol consumption).


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It is important to keep these tips in mind regardless of who you are, what you are doing and how much you are drinking. Alcohol can be an enjoyable part of life; however, alcohol can cause problems when consumption is not controlled.

Remember: No more than two standard drinks a day and no more than four standard drinks on any one occasion. With at least two alcohol free days per week is recommended.

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