There are a number of things you can try to reduce the amount you drink.
What can you do to reduce your drinking?
Why not begin by making a plan and before you start drinking, set a limit on how much you’re going to drink and stick to it.
You could set a budget and only take a fixed amount of money to spend on alcohol.
Do
- take part in special alcohol-free initiatives like Dry January or Go Sober for October
- try alcohol-free drinks or a selection of mocktails
- have a smaller drink
- cut down alcohol by swapping strong beers or wines for ones with a lower strength (ABV in %)
- drink a glass of water before you have alcohol
- alternate alcoholic drinks with water or a soft drink
- have several drink-free days each week
- cut back a little each day and make every day you do a success
- · let your friends and family know you’re cutting down and it’s important to you – they can support you
Drinking diary
If you’re aiming to cut down your drinking, a good thing to do is to keep a note of what you drink and when.
On a daily basis, make a note of:
- the alcoholic drinks you’ve had
- what time you have them
- where you were
- how many units you drink – use the Scottish Government’s alcohol unit generator and alcohol unit calculator to work this out
This will give you a good idea of:
- how much alcohol you’re drinking
- the situations in which you drink
- how you could start to cut down
