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Top tips for cutting down

1. 1.Always try to have at least 2 alcohol-free days each week, this gives your liver a break and a chance to recover. You’ll feel more refreshed too. It’s best not to pick days when you know you’ll be under added pressure to join in, like Fridays and Saturdays.
2. 2.If you drink in the evenings at home, save the money you would spend in 2 days and buy something better with it, you’ll wonder why you’re wasting all your money on booze when you can afford to go out to a restaurant every week with the proceeds.
3. 3.Drink slower when you’re out socially and don’t get into buying rounds where you’ll have to keep up with everybody else. Also try going out later and coming home a bit earlier (is easier said than done when you're having fun).
4. 4. When you’re having a drink try to do something else at the same time, that way you’re not just concentrating on drinking i.e. if you’re out, try playing pool or darts, give your hands something else to do. If you’re at home, do something with your hands, that DIY you've been putting off or take up a new hobby.
5. 5. Don’t drink on an empty stomach, try to have a snack before you go out and nibble during the evening to slow down the effects of alcohol on your body. Also try to eat wholemeal bread or brown rice before you drink, the slow release of carbs will give you extra energy and you won’t need to drink as much to have fun.
6. 6.Keep a drink diary, this will alert you to your weekly units and show increases and indeed decreases in your unit intake.
7. 7.Drink lower alcohol drinks there’s lots on the market nowadays, if you drink spirits pop a few ice cubes in, this will make your drink last longer and try alternating your drinks with a soft one. If you drink wine try a spritzer instead or shandy if you drink beer.
8. 8.Remember you can’t ‘save up’ your units for the weekend, your recommended units are for each day.
9. 9.Avoid topping up your drinks as this makes it harder to calculate your limits.
10. 10. Take less money out with you when you meet up with your mates and don’t take out any plastic, this means that when you’ve spent up you have no alternatives.
11. 11.If you’re out in a pub or bar find a table and sit down. We all drink faster when we’re stood up because we’re holding our drink rather than putting it on the table.
12. 12.DON’T GIVE UP - it won’t happen overnight, when you’ve got a habit, it’s usually hard to break. Cutting down even slightly is one step in the right direction, we’ve all got our own personal goals.

Tips for women
just to be on the safe side don’t drink if you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

The only person you look good to when you’re drunk is another drunk!

Try not to have a drink when you’re getting ready to go out, it’ll help when you’re putting your eyeliner on too!

Alcohol is calorific, there’s nearly 200 calories in a large glass of wine, that’s the equivalent of a cream egg. Would you eat five of those in a day and not feel a little guilty?

Try a lower alcohol wine, there’s lots of good ones on the market nowadays, alternatively make a spritzer with your favourite wine.

Tips for men
It’s not a race, try not to get in a round where you’re encouraged to drink faster than normal to keep up.

Alcohol is calorific and even if you don’t count your calories you should know that one pint of beer has 230 calories in it - that’s almost the same as a twin pack of Twix bars - how many of those could you eat in one night?

Try a lower alcohol beer, there’s lots of good ones on the market nowadays.