How to stop binge drinking

If you’re an Australian who drinks alcohol, there’s a good chance you’ve woken up after a night out boozing and uttered the words “I’m never drinking again.”

A study of 200 Australians’ drinking habits by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education found more than a quarter have unsafe drinking habits, and half of the alcohol drunk in Australia is consumed at levels outside the safe drinking guidelines.

Michael Gannon, the president of the Australian Medical Association, knows this all too well.

He recently criticised the government’s National Drug Strategy, saying it puts too much emphasis on methamphetamine addiction — something just 1.4 per cent of Australians have tried and “pales into insignificance compared to alcohol abuse”.

While there’s technically no safe amount of alcohol, Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council recommends men and women stick to a maximum of two standard drinks per day, and never more than four in a single session (three to four hours) to reduce the risks of alcohol-related injury and disease.

That might sound like not a lot if you’re used to polishing off a bottle of wine or a six pack on a Saturday night, but there are strategies to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink and avoid being in a world of pain on Sunday morning – not to mention the chances of physical injury, violent incidents and breast, bowel or liver cancer.

Decide how much you’ll drink before you start

Going out to drink with a “we’ll see what happens!” mentality is just asking for trouble.

According to Reach Out Australia, before you start drinking you should decide how many you’ll have that night (a maximum of two to four if you’re following the recommended guidelines) and each time you finish a drink, note it in your phone.

This strategy will help you slow down your drinking pace, since you can only have a limited amount. And once you reach the limit, stick to water or soft drink, or go home.

To remind yourself of your limit, it can help to only get out enough cash for the drinks you’ll be having, or decide on a time you want to be in bed by.

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Don’t “pre-game” or drink before a social event

Alcohol affects our ability to make decisions, so it’s easy to see why after a couple of drinks it seems like a great idea to have a couple more, and then a couple more.

Don’t turn up to a party, pub or social event with a couple of drinks under your belt already. If a friend wants to “pre-game” or have a few at home before you head out, just say you’re excited to get wherever you’re going and you’d rather drink there, and don’t keep any booze at home for that reason.

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Drink a water or soft drink between each alcoholic drink

DrinkWise, an independent, not-for-profit organisation committed to helping Australians enjoy alcohol safely, recommends drinking a water or other non-alcoholic drink between every boozy beverage to slow down the effect alcohol has on you.

But don’t just skoll a water and then order another beer or wine. Sit on the water the way you would an alcoholic drink – it should take you at least 40 minutes to drink it.

If you don’t want people to know, order a sparkling water with lime, which looks like a gin or vodka, or a coke, which could have bourbon in it. Nobody needs to know.

However, there’s no shame in just trying not to get sloppy drunk, and telling your friends you’re drinking water might remind them that they should have one too.

Don’t get pulled into rounds or accept drinks you don’t want

Rounds are a tradition at Aussie watering holes, but it can mean you speed up the pace of drinking to keep up with others, and end up having drinks you don’t want.

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation advises not getting into rounds or ‘shouts’ – if you feel pressured, say you’re not feeling 100 percent or aren’t sure how long you can stay, so you’ll just grab your own.

And if someone buys you a shot, don’t drink it just to be polite or risk offending them.

“If they insist, pour it on the floor, or ask the bartender to fill your shot glass with water — it looks a lot like vodka, after all,” Reach Out Australia advises.

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Eat enough food

Don’t be afraid to go crazy on the menu if you’re drinking. It means your body will take longer to digest the alcohol, and you’ll drink more slowly in between bites.

Never arrive to an event hungry, continue to order food throughout your drinking session and have something in the fridge or freezer you can heat up quickly when you get home. Tomorrow you will thank you for it.

Do something other than meeting to drink

Try to incorporate an activity into your drinking session to slow down your pace of drinking. This could be pool, darts or arcade games if you’re at a bar, or meeting friends to do barefoot lawn bowls or cricket instead of just meeting to drink.

Or if you’re up in the club, don’t feel the need to have a drink in your hand on the dancefloor – bust some moves for a few songs in between drinks and just shake your head if someone offers to buy you one. You’re in the zone.


Find an outlet for stress

If you feel stressed or depressed, drinking will only make you feel better briefly before making you feel much, much worse, since alcohol is a depressant.

Having a go-to, non-alcoholic activity to turn to when you’re stressed, such as running, swimming, meditation, yoga or an intense workout, means you’ll be in a better frame of mind and less likely to binge-drink when you get home or to the pub.
