If you make the choice to drink alcohol, follow these tips to help reduce risks to your safety and wellbeing:
Stick with one kind of alcohol
Drinking various types of alcoholic beverages throughout the night can cause stomach issues. Also, drinking one kind of alcoholic beverage can help a person better moderate how much alcohol they consume and prevent unsafe spikes in BAC.
Pace drinks to one or fewer per hour
Our bodies process around one standard drink per hour. Pacing drinks will keep your BAC within a safer range.
Keep track of how much you’re drinking
Standard serving sizes are 1.5 oz of 80 proof liquor, 12 oz of 5% alcohol beer, and 5 oz of 12% alcohol wine. Each has the same amount of pure alcohol. But, bars, clubs, and friends may not always serve drinks according to standard serving sizes. Know how much alcohol is in your drink and keep track of how many standard drinks you consume.
Have a friend let you know if you’ve had too much
Hold each other accountable and look out for each other. Intervene if someone is behaving in a risky way.
Eat before and during drinking
Having food in your stomach slows the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.
Set a limit for number of drinks you’ll have
Setting a limit can help prevent someone from drinking more than they intended to, and help to avoid bad experiences and negative outcomes that can result from drinking.
Choose not to drink
Just because alcohol is available and people around you are drinking, doesn’t mean you have to be drinking too, or drinking at the same rate as others. Make a choice based on what’s comfortable and safest for you.
Avoid drinking games
Drinking games encourage excessive alcohol consumption and can cause dangerous levels of intoxication. Don’t feel pressured to participate in a drinking game. Have a plan for what you’ll say to turn it down.
Alternate non-alcoholic with alcoholic beverages (Water is a great choice)
This will help you stay hydrated and help keep your BAC at a safer level.
Stay with the same group of friends
Starting and ending the night with the same group of friends can help prevent someone from ending up in an unsafe situation.
Have a plan to get home safely
Whether it’s a ride sharing app, designated driver, taxi, or walking, plan ahead for how you will get home safely.