The main reason people get into trouble while drinking is because they sometimes drink more than they intended. Most are not skilled at planning their drinking nor have they thought about techniques that help them stay within reasonable consumption levels. The following tips can be useful when planning to avoid drinking too much.
- Alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages while drinking.
- Never drink on an empty stomach. Also eat something while drinking.
- Spend more time talking with friends, dancing, playing pool, darts, cards, etc.
- Sip and Set - Set your drink down between sips.
- Mix your own drinks to control the alcohol content.
- Decide to consume only a predetermined number of drinks.
- Learn to calculate your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and set limits based on a pre-determined BAC.
- Limit your drinking to a certain amount of time.
- Limit the amount of money you will spend on alcohol.
- Avoid carbonated beverages (mixes) that increase the rate of alcohol absorption.
- Avoid drinking shots.
- Avoid drinking from a punch bowl where the alcohol concentration may be high.
- Avoid drinking games, beer bongs, or other activities that encourage guzzling or gulping alcohol.
- Avoid drinking with fast drinkers or at least set your own pace.
- Inform friends of your moderate drinking plan so they can help you stick to it.
- Plan how you will respond to pressure to drink more than you want.
- Practice "sipping skills" until they become natural and automatic.