Y'Know... You Can Drink Responsibly and Still Have Fun!

Being the life of the party doesn’t always mean being drunk out of your mind. You can still enjoy a drink or two whilst remaining in control of both your actions and words. Plus, you’ll be grateful for having done so the next morning!

After all, many things in life require moderation, whether it’s eating, working or even hobbies. In fact, drinking responsibly is many times compared to gambling responsibly. Even prior to registering at an online casino , there are always cautionary messages encouraging customers to practice such a pastime responsibly.

For most people, having a drink is a great way to chill and enjoy time with friends and family while having a generally good time, but when the binging kicks in and you’ve gone too far that’s when the good times make a speedy exit, only to be replaced by chaos, and possibly a couple of apologies in the weeks to come that could have easily be avoided.

Know Your Booze 

Not all drinks were created equally, and it’s important to be aware of the options available in order to make smart choices when it comes to your alcohol consumption next time you’re on a night out. Different beverages contain different units of alcohol by volume (ABV) – let’s take a look.

• Beer, one pint – 2.3 units, approx. 4% ABV
• Champagne, one glass – 1.5 units, approx. 12% ABV
• Cider, one pint – 2.6 units, approx. 4.5% ABV
• Spirits, one shot – 1 unit, approx. 40% ABV
• Wine, one glass – 2.3 units, approx. 13% ABV

Of course, this is just a general idea of what to expect, and each individual drink will always have its ABV indicated on the label if you really want to be specific about it. Keeping track of how many drinks you’ve knocked back will allow you pace yourself accordingly.

What Binge Drinking Does to You 

Whether it happens once a week, or once a year, there’s no denying that there are a number of risks associated with binge drinking. According to its official definition, binge drinking will raise the alcohol concentration in your bloodstream by 0.08% or more – which when you think about it equates to around five drinks or more in the span of two hours for men, and four or more for women.

Of course, we all know about the dark side that comes with overconsumption of alcohol, with binge drinking potentially causing accidental deaths and injuries amongst others. Interestingly, it’s been reported that over 140,000 people die in the US each year from excessive alcohol use so let’s keep that in mind.

Other risks associated with binge drinking include STDs, violence, unintended pregnancies, liver and heart diseases, high blood pressure, memory and learning difficulties, certain types of cancer, and stroke amongst others – but its not all doom and gloom. Enjoying alcohol responsibly is key – and learning how to make a couple of really good mocktails  at home can’t hurt either!

The Benefits of Slowing Down 

Just as you can imagine, there are several benefits associated with reducing your alcohol intake in general, here are some of the areas affected by regular over-use.  

• Sleep  – while you might enjoy the occasional glass of wine to help you fall asleep, regular alcohol consumption will wreck your sleep cycle eventually leading to sleep deprivation.
• Weight – alcohol is very high in empty calories meaning you’ll still feel hungry, while already having ingested your daily calorific allowance in liquid form.
• Mental Health  - in social settings its common to rely on a drink for that Dutch courage, however keep in mind that alcohol is a depressant and could eventually lead to other issues in the long run.
• Physical Health  – drinking consistently could affect your general wellbeing over time, while being more prone to developing liver and heart related issues, as well as diabetes and some types of cancer.

Cheers to Taking Control 

It’s easy to enjoy a drink while still being responsible about it. Here are a couple of handy tips to think about next time you’re out and about and wondering whether the next drink should be whisky or water.

Predefine Limits

Once you get caught up in the entertainment of it all, it’s easy to forget about your responsible drinking goals and quickly find yourself thinking ‘one more isn’t going to make a difference.’ The truth is that it might, and losing track of how many drinks you’ve had is really easy – especially once you’re over the limit already. This is why it’s helpful to set a drink limit for yourself before you leave home.

In order to do this efficiently, you’re going to need to know yourself and your limits beforehand. How many drinks does it normally take before you start making bad decisions? Think of that number and reduce it by two as a base line. If you have no idea where to start, two to three drinks per night out is probably reasonable.

Include Food

If you’re planning on having a couple of drinks once you head out, we’d recommend having something to eat before. Drinking on a full stomach allows your body to absorb the alcohol at a slower rate, keeping you sober for longer.

Also, it’s really important to remember that alcohol will naturally dehydrate you, so drinking water regularly is a smart way to balance this situation out. Apart from potentially making tomorrow’s hangover less brutal , it will also keep you busy sipping on something that isn’t alcoholic.

Step Away from the Hard Stuff

Whether it’s shots, or particularly strong cocktails, keeping away from very hard liquor is always a good idea. If you’re concerned about maintaining your limits, beer or wine are always better alternatives. This doesn’t mean that you’re able to go wild simply because their alcoholic content is lower, instead consider pacing yourself by sipping on your drink slowly rather than downing the lot, this will allow you to listen to your body and adjust your limits accordingly.

Maintain Accountability

From starting off with a plan regarding how you intend turning drinks down as the night carries on, to perhaps involving an accountability buddy that will help you stick to all the good decisions you made earlier, there are several different ways to ensure you remain right on track where you’d like to be. At the end of the day, it’s all about moderation - have fun with it, just don’t overdo it.