Alcohol is, and has long been, a major part of our culture. But although we glamorize the Bacchanalian revels of ancient Greece and turn to happy hour as a time to catch up and unwind, too much alcohol is dangerous to both the drinker and those around him or her. It’s essential to be sure that alcohol doesn’t interfere with our daily lives, careers, and safety.
A word to the wise
We’d like to first mention briefly that anyone reading this who feels that they cannot control their drinking should immediately seek help. Alcoholism is as common as it is devastating, and you are not alone. We urge you to seek help if you need it.
Let’s start with health. The health benefits of alcohol are, according to most experts, very real–but that’s not an excuse to drink to excess. The healthy amount of alcohol to drink is 1-2 drinks a day, depending on your size, age, and gender. In general, only young, healthy men are advised to drink more than one drink. Now, we’re not fools–we know that lots of people occasionally have more than one or two drinks. But you need to be careful, and you should know that alcohol’s health benefits end early on–and that its dangers start soon after. Steer clear of binge drinking, which has serious health consequences!
And, of course, we’re obligated to remind you that there are situations that demand complete sobriety. Cars are safer than ever, say the pros at a car dealership in Thompsontown, PA, but it is still incredibly dangerous–not to mention illegal–to drink and drive. Keep yourself under the limit or, better yet, skip drinking entirely whenever you’re driving. Even “legal” intoxication can be dangerous (and, therefore, illegal under other laws besides the famous BAC-based ones).
And everyone should know the other basics: never drink when pregnant, never mix alcohol and medications (or alcohol and other recreational drugs), and so on. We’ll end the lecture here, but please remember that all of the rest of our advice for keeping drinking healthy and fun take these basic safety rules for granted!
Enjoying responsibly
With all of that stated clearly, let’s talk about drinking fun and safely–because that is certainly something that you can do! Drinking has been a part of human culture for centuries, and while it’s wonderful that many of us choose not to indulge, it’s also okay for those of us who are medically capable of enjoying alcohol safely to do just that.
So how can you keep your occasional drinking healthy? For starters, savor your drinks. We’ve established that you should generally try to have just one or two drinks at a maximum, so try to make yours last! The connoisseurs at a liquor store in Woodbridge, NJ recommend familiarizing yourself with cocktails and mixers. You’ll get more mileage out of your drink–and less booze–if you create a cocktail with nonalcoholic mixtures, and you’ll likely find that you enjoy the taste! Plus, there are plenty of great cocktails that can be enjoyed as non-alcoholic “mocktails,” making it easy to switch gears when you feel you’ve hit your limit.
It’s also a good idea to eat while you’re drinking. Having some food in your stomach can slow down alcohol entering your system, helping you to avoid becoming too intoxicated too quickly. Plus, meals provide a natural timeframe for your drinking, helping you to know when it’s time to get up and get out of there.
There’s a time and a place
Drinking with friends is better than drinking alone. Groups can help keep us safe and keep us accountable. Plus, drinking alone makes it easy for your habit to get out of hand: we’re alone pretty often over the course of our lives, and without any other people around to suggest alternatives, some of us may find our solo drinking habits becoming a problem.
As with all leisure activities, it’s always a good idea to designate times and places when you will drink alcohol–and times and places when you won’t! The work-life balance goes both ways, and a well-organized life will draw clear barriers between times for fun and times for work. The best time for a beer, for most of us, is likely to be a weekend afternoon or evening. Vacations are a great setting for sensible drinking, too–just try to avoid the temptation to overindulge. Be aware, too, of your surroundings. Some settings for recreation are great for play but bad for booze, says swimming pool construction team. Don’t mix drinking with swimming or strenuous physical activity, and don’t get drunk in an unfamiliar or unsafe environment.
Finally, it’s important to remember that drinking doesn’t always go as planned. It’s best to be prepared for every eventuality, so always have a plan B for your safe drinking. Be prepared to call a cab and leave your car behind if you don’t feel it’s safe to get home–while you may be reluctant to abandon your vehicle, you can rest assured that the consequences will be far worse if you get behind the wheel, say the legal advisors at a law firm in Caldwell, NJ.
If all of this sounds like common-sense advice, well, it is! Drinking responsibly is just about planning ahead, setting boundaries, and using your common sense. If you have any trouble following these simple rules, you should consider the possibility that your drinking is a problem, and you should seek help. If, on the other hand, you find that you can stay within your limits, avoid unplanned and unsafe drinking, and remain responsible and safe, then by all means, enjoy drinking as a part of your healthy life!