If you drink alcohol, it is important to know how to drink responsibly and to stay below your tolerance level. If you don't, you could hurt your friends and family and put yourself in great danger. If you want to know how to drink responsibly, whether you are in a bar, at a party, or any other place where people drink, you will need to have a plan, know your limits, and know how to recognize and avoid dangerous situations. If you want to know how to enjoy alcohol without letting it take control of you, follow these steps.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare an Action Plan
Step 1. Drink with a group of friends
If you want to drink responsibly, the first thing you should do is avoid drinking alone, or drinking with people you don't know well or don't trust. If you are out on your own and no one can help you, you can get in big trouble and no one will know that something is wrong. Whether you're headed to a party or a bar, always make sure you're drinking with a group of people you appreciate and trust.
- Don't drink with people who encourage you to drink too much or who criticize you when you don't drink, or when you don't "keep up". You should be able to decide for yourself when and how much to drink.
- Don't hang out with people who have a reputation for disappearing with some girl they met in a bar or who just leave you in the middle of the night. Make sure the people with you are trustworthy.
Step 2. Create a "buddy system" with at least one of your friends
When you go out with friends, at least one of them should be someone who knows their limits, or doesn't drink much, and is willing to keep an eye on you and tell you when you've had enough. In some cases, you may be drinking a lot more than your limit without admitting it, and this person can let you know when it's time to switch to water.
- This friend can tell you when you've had enough drink, can stop you from driving, and will bring you home when you have a rough night.
- Don't abuse the "buddy system" - if you're always the one who needs help, no one will want to go out with you anymore. You should be able to help your friend just as she helps you.
Step 3. Know your limits
First of all, you will need to know yourself and your limits. It doesn't take long to learn how much alcohol you can tolerate and each of us has a different resistance. Listen to your body, always respect it and never abuse it. The first time you drink, you should drink with close friends in the comfort of your home or theirs so that you don't feel the social pressure. This will help you understand how much you can handle alcohol.
- You can set specific limits. Your limit could be "four glasses of wine in six hours", "four beers per night" or "two cocktails per night" (depending on their content). Establish your limits before going out so that you are more likely to stick to them.
- If this is your first time out drinking, it is important to do it slowly, to assess when it is time to stop.
Step 4. First decide how to get home
If you are going out with friends, you should know exactly how you will get home. You have several options: the simplest is to establish a drawn driver before you leave, so that you have a non-drinking person to rely on to get home safely. You can also decide to go home by public transport, by taxi or on foot if you live close enough to a bar. All of these plans are viable.
- What you shouldn't do is drive to the bar and hope that one of your friends can take you home or have someone you know who will drink a lot with you in the hope that someone else can drive the car back.
- If you do not drive or do not have your car with you, regardless of the circumstances, do not be accompanied never in the car from someone who has drunk too much.
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Never get into a stranger's car if you are drunk. Alcohol affects your senses and your judgment. Get their number left and decide when you are sober whether to meet this person again.
Drink Responsibly Step 4Bullet3 - Even if you desperately want to go home, it's better to pay for a taxi or call a trusted friend to pick you up than to get in the car with a drunk or a stranger because that's the simplest solution.
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Never drive drunk. Don't drive even if you're tipsy. Just one drink per hour can get you over the legal limit for driving. Even if you think you "feel good," the breathalyser may think otherwise.
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Step 5. Drink only when you are of age to do so
In Italy this means being over 16, while in other parts of the world you will need to be 18 or even 21, such as in the United States. Don't try to get alcohol with a fake ID unless you're willing to risk legal repercussions. If you break the law, you will certainly not be responsible.
Step 6. Don't drink if you don't have a positive mindset
Alcohol is a depressant, so if you are already feeling angry, upset, or unstable, you will most likely feel worse. While you may think that you will have a great time drinking and forget all your problems, in fact you may feel worse. You may feel some initial excitement and some relief after the first two drinks, but you will end up in a much worse mood than you had before drinking.
- You should make it a rule to only drink when you are happy, and not when you want to fight sadness.
- Never use alcohol as a means of solving problems. You will have to be sober to do this.
- Don't drink with someone you're angry with. Alcohol will make you short-tempered, and it's much better to resolve conflicts with a clear head.
Step 7. Don't drink on an empty stomach
You will feel the effects of alcohol much faster if you drink on an empty stomach, and you will be more likely to feel sick. Any food will work if the alternative is to stay on an empty stomach, but try to eat nutritious foods rich in carbohydrates and proteins that will help you absorb alcohol, instead of just eating fruit or salad. Having a meal before going out will greatly reduce your chances of drinking more than the limit.
If you arrive at a bar and find that you haven't eaten, order some food and eat it before you start drinking. Don't worry if it means drinking later. It will be worth it
Step 8. Talk to your doctor to see if you can mix your prescribed medications with alcohol
If you take any medications, ask your doctor if you can drink alcohol on the days you take the medications. This varies from drug to drug, so make sure you know if your drugs have any negative interactions with alcohol before you start drinking.
Step 9. Don't drink if you haven't had much sleep
If you've only slept two or three hours, it's best to go to sleep and not go to the bar. Alcohol will have a much stronger effect if you already feel tired and exhausted and if you don't have full control of your mind and body because you will be exhausted.
- You may have been studying all night for an exam and are dying to go out drinking to party with friends, but you should hold back until you are no longer rested.
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Don't think that taking too much caffeine can make things better. In fact, mixing alcohol and caffeine will make you feel even worse and more likely to break down.
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Part 2 of 3: Managing Your Habit
Step 1. Stay hydrated
Alcohol dehydrates you and drains your body of vitamins and minerals. Drink water, soda, or water with added vitamins to replenish lost nutrients.
It is a good idea to keep a 1: 1 ratio of alcohol consumed to non-alcoholic liquids. Try to alternate an alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic one. If you deviate from this relationship, do it on the side of non-alcoholic beverages
Step 2. Only drink drinks you know
While there's nothing wrong with trying new drinks, pay attention to their alcohol volume before taking more than one. You may not be able to determine the strength of the alcohol due to the sweeteners, milk, or creams that cover its flavor. Plus, your reaction to a new drink may be a quicker intoxication.
- Some cocktail ingredients can raise your BAC faster than others, depending on your weight. Alcohol tolerance will not guarantee you a lower BAC than someone with the same tolerance as you.
- It is true that beers are safer choices than cocktails, but you should know the alcohol by volume of the beer you are drinking. While many have 4-5% alcohol by volume, some beers can go as high as 8-9%, or even exceed this, and that can make a huge difference.
Step 3. Don't drink more than one drink per hour
If you want to drink responsibly, you shouldn't have more than one drink per hour. "A drink" means a 33cl beer, a 15cl glass of wine, or a shot of 4.5cl 40% alcohol. It may be difficult to meet this limit when your friends drink a lot more, but it's the best way to drink responsibly. Sipping a beer or savoring a glass of wine will take longer than taking a shot and is recommended, because alcohol won't go into circulation all at once.
People often drink more than one drink per hour because they have nothing to do with their hands and start fiddling or feeling nervous when they don't have a drink. If this is your case, hold a glass of water or a soft drink in your hand between drinks, so that you always have something in hand
Step 4. Drink slowly
It is important not to drink too fast. Alcohol can take time to take effect. You may feel good enough to order another drink a few minutes after finishing the previous one, but remember that its effects have probably not shown up yet. Eat something or drink some water in the meantime to allow the alcohol to spread through the body.
Step 5. Avoid drinking games
While drinking games, such as beer pong, can be great fun to hang out at a party and make friends you won't remember the next day, these games encourage excess and make you forget where you are in a few. minutes.
You can play these games by discreetly spilling the alcohol you should be drinking, or by passing it to a friend who hasn't drunk much
Part 3 of 3: Avoiding Dangerous Situations
Step 1. Get to know the environment you are in
If you are at a party at someone's house, get to know the hosts. Ask where the bathroom is. Find a secluded place to leave your shoes or coat (but never your purse or wallet). If you find yourself losing control, make up an excuse ("I forgot my phone in my coat pocket!") And go to the secluded spot to calm down and throw your drink away. If you need to go home, look for the hosts and ask them to call you a taxi or find a sober person who can take you home.
- If you are in a public place, make a mental note of the location of all exits. This way, in an emergency, like a fire, you will know immediately where to go. It may also be useful to locate the nearest public transport stop or taxi rank. Don't complicate your life; always prepares a strategy to go home.
- Make sure you know your way home perfectly. If you get drunk to the point of losing your memory, your survival instincts will be as limited as your inhibitions, and you could easily get lost. If you don't know how to get home, you shouldn't go out drinking.
Step 2. Avoid peer pressure
Always remember that you are drinking to have fun, not to strut. We drink to enjoy a drink, to appreciate the company and feel free. Don't feel like you have to "keep up" with your friends or take part in stupid competitions that can ruin your evening or a friendship. If you find yourself with people who invite you to drink even when you don't want to, you are dating the wrong people.
If you really want people to stop wondering why you don't drink more, hold a soda in your hand and they'll think you should drive. This is a good short-term solution; the long-term one is to stay away from people who press unwanted you
Step 3. Stop drinking if you start feeling drunk
Symptoms of intoxication include a feeling of loss of control over your thoughts, blurred vision, difficulty in speaking, and difficulty in balancing.
Step 4. Stop drinking if you vomit
While this may seem like trivial advice, it is important not to try to drink more alcohol, even if you will feel better once you throw up. Throwing up is a signal that your body cannot take the amount of alcohol you have ingested and is using its last line of defense against that substance. At this point, you have certainly gone too far, and you need to worry about your health.
If you feel the urge to throw up, you should find a bathroom and do it. Vomiting is a way to expel excess alcohol from the body. You shouldn't force yourself to throw up, but you shouldn't hold back either
Step 5. Lie on your side if you feel bad
If you have been throwing up, if you feel like you are going to throw up, or if you just feel terrible, you should lie on your side to avoid choking on your vomit. Keep a bucket near your mouth and be prepared to throw up if necessary. If you find yourself in this unpleasant situation, don't go home alone - ask a trusted friend to stay by your side to help you.
- If you feel bad, have a headache or something is wrong, tell someone. A responsible person will need to take care of you if you risk ethyl coma and to decide if you will need urgent medical attention.
- If you see a person who is very sick and is lying down, be sure to turn them on their side.
Step 6. Don't make sexual decisions when you've been drinking
While you may think that alcohol can give you the courage to talk or have a relationship with the girl you like, it can actually limit your decision-making skills and lead you to do something you will bitterly regret later on. You can flirt a little, get a girl's number, and then call her back when you're sober, but you should never go home with someone you've just met, or even kiss someone in a bar - that's not fancy, and you won't be proud of yourself later on.
Step 7. Don't accept drinks from strangers
If you're at a party and a guy offers you a drink, don't accept it unless you see him making it or taking it for you so you know exactly what's in the glass. If the guy passes you a beer from a refrigerator, no problem, but if he disappears into the kitchen and comes back with a "mystery drink" that could be full of alcohol or rape drugs, you will be faced with a very dangerous situation.
You don't have to be rude when you refuse the drink. Honestly admit your thoughts. It is better to appear unfriendly than to find yourself in danger
Step 8. Don't leave your drink unattended
You should always keep it in your hand or in sight, at a party or in a bar. If you put down your drink and walk away, someone may be altering it, or you may take a stronger drink by mistake, thinking it is yours.
If you get up to go to the bathroom, have a close friend hold your drink or take it with you. This will help prevent your drink from being tainted
Advice
- If you have a habit of getting drunk and doing stupid things every time you drink, or if your friends always have to take you home because you are not in a position to drive, you will certainly have crossed the line and risk losing your friends. You may have a serious drinking problem. Get help right away.
- Remember, drinking is NOT the answer to life's problems, and will only make them worse and create new ones. If you like to drink, try to limit yourself to a drink or two. If you are small in build, your limit will be even lower. Not only will drinking and getting drunk cause your brain cells to die, but being drunk is very dangerous. Drink in moderation.
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Alcohol is a depressant. Therefore it is a bad idea to mix it with stimulants - especially caffeine, contained in coffee or energy drinks. Stimulants will make you feel more alert and present, and you may mistakenly think you can still hold a few drinks. Remember the number of drinks you've had to make sure you stick to your limits.
Stimulants will speed up your heart rate, which, in combination with alcohol, can lead to palpitations and other serious heart problems
- Do not taking sleeping pills, or other medications when you drink alcohol.
Warnings
- Remember that any amount of alcohol will affect your coordination and mental processes. The intensity of this alteration depends on the type of alcohol, your age, your body mass and the speed at which you drink. Drink responsibly, with moderation and maturity, respecting your limits.
- Don't drink to solve your problems. Drinking with friends to celebrate a birthday isn't a problem, but finishing a bottle of whiskey yourself because your girlfriend left you could lead to alcoholism.
- If you've been drinking, don't even think about driving. Walk home, call a cab, or get a ride from a sober and trustworthy person.
- Avoid drinking after taking pain relievers and medications.
- If you notice that a person has passed out, does not regain consciousness, and has not vomited after ingesting extreme amounts of alcohol, take the person to the hospital. He could be in an ethyl coma. Loss of consciousness is a potentially fatal condition.
- Don't mix energy drinks and alcohol.
