Drink sensibly

Video: Drink Sensibly (WDP) - A Short Film

Content

To step
Part 1 of 3: Make a plan in advance
Part 2 of 3: Drink with care
Part 3 of 3: Avoid dangerous situations
Tips
Warnings
Necessities

Anyone who likes to drink alcohol would do well to know how to drink sensibly and how to ensure that you do not drink more alcohol than your body can tolerate. If you drink without taking it into account, you can hurt your friends and family a lot, as well as be a danger to yourself. If you want to learn to drink sensibly, whether in a cafe, at a party, or anywhere else where alcohol is consumed, make a plan in advance, know your limits, and learn to recognize and avoid dangerous situations. If you want to learn how to sip a few drinks sensibly without the alcohol taking control, read steps 1 through 3 below, including additional tips and warnings.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Make a plan in advance

Drink with a group of friends. If you want to drink sensibly, don't start drinking alone or with people you don't know well or trust completely. If you're out on your own without having someone with you to watch you, you can get into trouble in all sorts of ways and no one will notice that something is wrong. If you're going to a party or going out for a night out, always make sure to go out for drinks with friends you like and trust.
- Don't drink with people who encourage others to drink as much as possible or who look down on you when you don't drink, or because you can't "keep up" with the rest of the group because you drink less or less quickly than them. The intention is that you can drink in a relaxed way at your own pace.
- Don't go out with people who are known to love going home with someone they meet at the cafe or who just disappear in the middle of the night. Only date people you know you can count on.
Set up a "buddy system" with one or more of your friends. When you are out with friends, it is best if at least one of them knows his or her own limits well or, even better, drinks little or not at all so that he or she can keep an eye on you and alert you as soon as it looks like you've had enough to drink. Sometimes you drink a lot more than you can actually have but you are too cocky to admit it, and then that friend can let you know that it is time to switch to water.
- That friend can let you know that you've had enough to drink now, make sure you don't get behind the wheel, and can also be prepared to take you home if you can't get it at the end of the night to get home safely yourself.
- Don't abuse the "buddy system" - if you're the one always drunk home, no one wants to go out with you in the end. The intention is that the friend who is watching you can at the same time count on you to keep an eye on him or her.
Know your limits. Most important of all, you know yourself and know where your limits are. Every body is unique and everyone has their own alcohol tolerance level. Still, it is not that difficult to figure out how much alcohol you can have. Listen to your body. Don't abuse it and give your body what it asks of you. If you are going to drink for the first time, do it with good friends at one of your homes. At least you know that you won't get into trouble with strangers if you can't fully control the situation. Moreover, in a safe environment you get a bit of an idea of what you can and cannot have.
- You can set your limits in a very concrete way. For example, your limit could be "four glasses of wine in six hours," "four beers per night" or "two mixed drinks per night" (depending on what's in it). Before you go out the door, tell yourself where your limits are. That way, you are more likely to stick with it until the end of the evening.
- If it is your first time drinking alcohol while going out, it is important that you try to drink as slowly and evenly as possible. That way you can get to know your own alcohol tolerance level better.
Make sure you know how to get home in advance. If you go out with friends, you have to know exactly how you will go home afterwards the night before. There are several options: the easiest way is to determine in advance who will be driving. That person will not drink alcohol that evening and will bring you home safely. You can also go home by bus or some other form of public transport, you can take a taxi, or if you live close enough, you can walk home. These are all good and safe options.
- Whatever you do not must do is go to the bar or cafe by car in the hope that one of your friends can drive you home afterwards, or ride with someone who you know is going to drink a lot and then there gambling that someone else will later take over the car from him or her.
- Whatever happens, if you don't have a driver's license yourself or if you don't have a car at your disposal, get out anyway never in the car with someone who has had too much to drink.
- Never get in a car with someone you don't know while you're drunk. Alcohol affects your judgment. Ask his or her number and wait until you are sober before deciding to persuade him or her further.
- Even if you want to get home as soon as possible, it is better to pay for a taxi or call a trusted friend and ask if he or she can pick you up, than to get in the car of someone who is drunk or who you don't know just because it is easiest at the time.
- Never drive when you are drunk. Never get behind the wheel when you are drunk; not even if you are even slightly tipsy. One drink per hour can already cause the blood alcohol level in your blood to exceed the legally permitted amount. Even if you think you "feel good", your blood alcohol level can indicate something completely different.
Only drink when you are legally old enough. In the Netherlands you are allowed to drink alcohol from the age of 18, but that is not the case everywhere. In the United States, for example, you have to wait until you are 21. In most other countries, the legal drinking age is between 16 and 18. In the Netherlands you are also punishable by law if you are not yet 18 and walk down the street with alcohol. Going out with a fake identity card may seem like the solution, but it is obviously not advisable, unless you don't mind being arrested or having to pay a fine. Chances are that you will fall through the basket, and if you break the law, you are not doing it wisely anyway.
Don't drink if you don't feel completely happy. Alcohol is depressing, so if you're already angry, sad, or just a little unstable, chances are those feelings will get worse when you start drinking. You may think that if you start drinking, you will have the time of your life and that alcohol will make you forget all your problems, but in fact it will make you feel even worse. In the beginning you may feel better after one or two drinks, but eventually drinking will put you in a much worse mood.
- Make a rule of drinking only when you are feeling well and don't use alcohol as a remedy for depression.
- Never use alcohol as a means of solving your problems. You have to be sober to deal with your problems.
- Don't go out for a drink with someone you are angry with. The alcohol will bring out your anger and you will both be much better off if you resolve the argument while you are both sober.
Do not drink on an empty stomach. If you start drinking on an empty stomach you will feel the effect of the alcohol much faster and the chance that you will become nauseous is also much greater. In principle, everything is better than nothing, but instead of just some fruit or a salad, you better opt for a hearty plate of hot food with a lot of protein and carbohydrates. A hearty meal forms a soil in your stomach that can absorb the alcohol better. By eating well before going out, you are much less likely to exceed your limits when drinking.
- If you unexpectedly end up in a bar or cafe and then realize that you haven't eaten yet, order something to eat before you start drinking or grab some chips, peanuts or another quick snack if necessary. It does not matter if that is a bit inconvenient or if you cannot start drinking right away. It's worth it, you can count on it.
If you are taking any medication prescribed by your doctor, first ask him or her if you can drink alcohol with it. If you have to take medication temporarily, ask the doctor who gave you the prescription if you can actually drink alcohol on the day you take the medication. It varies from drug to drug, so before you drink alcohol, check to see if the drug you're taking in combination with alcohol can cause side effects.
Do not drink alcohol if you have not slept well. If you've only slept for two or three hours the night before, you'd better go to bed as soon as possible instead of going to the cafe. The effect of alcohol is much stronger if you already feel a bit fuzzy and tired, and because of the exhaustion you don't have complete control of your body and mind.
- You may have been studying until the wee hours before an exam the night before and were now killing yourself to celebrate the ending by having a drink with your friends, but you better postpone that party drink until an evening when you are well rested.
- Don't think that you can improve the situation with a high dose of caffeine and that you can start drinking after three cups of coffee or after an energy drink. In fact, combining caffeine and alcohol in large amounts will only make you feel worse and make you more likely to die sooner or later.

Part 2 of 3: Drink with care

Drinking water. Alcohol dehydrates your body and removes vitamins and minerals from your body. Drink water, soda or water with extra vitamins to replenish those vitamins.
- Alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at a one-to-one ratio is a smart policy - it means that you drink one glass of water for every glass of alcohol you drink, but it is always better to have proportionally more non-alcoholic than alcoholic drinks. drink.
Make sure you know what you are drinking. Of course, trying something new is always fun, such as a Sex on the Beach or a special type of beer, but before you order another always check how much alcohol is in the drink. You cannot always immediately taste how strong a certain drink is because the taste of the alcohol in certain drinks is dominated by the sugar, the fruit, the milk or cream or any other ingredients. In addition, you may react faster to an unfamiliar drink and thus get drunk faster than what you normally drink.
- The ingredients in some mixed drinks can cause your blood alcohol level, or the amount of alcohol in your blood, to rise faster than other drinks, depending on your weight. So it is not, as many people think, that someone with a high alcohol tolerance level has a lower blood alcohol level than someone who can have less alcohol.
- It's true that beer is a safer choice than cocktails, but the blood alcohol level varies by beer, so make sure you know how much alcohol is in the beer you are drinking. Many types of beer contain 4-5% alcohol, but there are also beers with an alcohol content of 8 or 9% or even more, and that can make a significant difference.
Have a maximum of one drink per hour. Drinking sensibly means not drinking more than one drink per hour. "One drink" means one 350 ml beer, one glass of wine (150 ml) or one shot (45 ml) of spirits with a 40% alcohol content. It can be difficult to stick to that maximum if your friends drink a lot more, but you are drinking safely this way. If you take small sips of beer or really enjoy a glass of wine, your drink will last longer than if you take one shot of spirits. It is also advisable to take a drink for a longer time because you will not get all the alcohol at the same time.
- People often have more than one drink per hour because otherwise they don't know what to do with their hands. If they don't have a drink in their hand, they get nervous or fidget nervously. If that also bother you, have a glass of water or soft drink between your drinks so that you never end up empty-handed.
Keep an eye on how quickly you drink. It is important that you maintain an even pace while drinking. It may take a while before you notice the effect of the alcohol. You may think you can have another shot a few minutes after your first shot, but keep in mind that you just might not have felt the effect yet. In the meantime, have a nibble or drink some water and allow the alcohol to spread all over your body.
Avoid drinking games. Drinking games such as Kings, Beerpoker, Slightly Drunk or Clapping Hand might be a good way to have fun at a party and make some new friends that you forget immediately, but these types of games encourage people to drink excessively and if you participate, you can be sure that you won't know where you are in a matter of minutes.
- You can safely participate in these types of games if you secretly wash away the drink you "must" drink or give it to a friend who has not yet drunk that much.

Part 3 of 3: Avoid dangerous situations

Make sure you feel comfortable in the environment where you are. If you are at a party at someone's house, try to get to know the house itself and the people who live there a little bit. Make sure you know where the bathroom is. Look for a secluded place where you can store your shoes or your jacket (but by no means your wallet). If you feel like you are starting to lose control, make up a quick excuse ("I left my phone in my jacket pocket!") And go to that secret place to relax and / or get the drink to throw out or rinse away. If you feel like you should go home, see the residents of the house and ask if they can call a taxi for you or arrange for someone who hasn't been drinking to take you home.
- If you're not in people's homes but out in public somewhere, try as soon as you get there first all possible find exits. You should always do this automatically so that you can find the nearest exit as quickly as possible in the event of a fire or other emergency. It is also useful if you know how to get to the nearest bus stop or taxi rank from where you are. Don't make it more difficult for yourself than necessary; always know in advance how to get away from somewhere as quickly as possible.
- Also make sure you know how to get home by heart. If you get so drunk that you can no longer remember anything, you will not only be much less inhibited, you will also take a lot less care of yourself, so you can easily get lost. If you don't know how to get home, it is probably best not to drink.
Avoid peer pressure. Never forget that you are drinking to have a little fun and have a good night, and not to impress others. Drinking is done to enjoy the drink and the company of your friends and to feel free. There is absolutely no need to "keep up," or participate in crazy competitions that can ruin the evening and even whole friendships. If you hang out with people who encourage you to drink more when you don't want to, you may be hanging out with the wrong people.
- If you are serious about making sure that others stop bothering you and keep asking you why you don't drink more, hold a glass of spa or cola with a slice of lemon in your hand so that people think you should drive and will leave you alone. This is a good short term solution; the long-term solution involves staying away from people who put unwanted pressure on you.
If you start to feel drunk, stop drinking. Symptoms of drunkenness include feeling out of control of your thoughts, blurred vision, slurred speech, and difficulty maintaining your balance.
If you vomit, stop drinking. Normally this goes without saying, but it is nevertheless very important that you do not try to drink more alcohol after you have vomited, even if you feel "better" after vomiting. Vomiting is a sign that your body is unable to process the amount of alcohol you have ingested, and refusing the alcohol is the last means your body uses to defend itself. When you get to this stage, you've really had too much to drink and it's time to start thinking about your health and forget about partying for a while.
- If you feel like throwing up, find a toilet and throw everything out. Vomiting is your body's way of getting rid of the excess alcohol that is not part of your system. You do not have to vomit forcibly by, for example, sticking your finger in your throat, but you should also not hold it down.
If you feel nauseous, lie on your side. If you have just vomited, feel like you might be vomiting, or just feel nauseous, lie on your side to avoid choking on your own vomit while lying on your back. Keep a bucket close to your mouth and be ready to throw up should you need to. If you find yourself in this unpleasant situation, don't go home alone - ask a friend you trust can stay with you that night so he or she can watch you and be there for you if you need help .
- If you are nauseous, have a headache, or otherwise feel unwell, then tell someone. Someone with a sense of responsibility should watch you and make sure you haven't contracted alcohol poisoning and may need urgent medical attention.
- If you see someone else who is very nauseous and is lying on the floor, make sure that person is also lying on their side.
Never make sexual decisions after you have been drinking. You may think that alcohol will give you some liquid courage to finally speak to the person you like or start something with him or her, but in fact alcohol turns off your ability to make decisions and can spur you to do things which you can regret enormously later on. You can flirt a bit, get hold of someone's phone number, and then reach out when you're sober, but you shouldn't go home with someone you've met or kiss in the middle of a cafe - it's not exactly chic and you won't be proud of yourself afterwards if you do.
Never accept a drink from a stranger. If you come into a party and someone offers you a drink right away, only accept it if he or she is preparing or pouring it in front of your eyes, so you know exactly what's in it. If someone just takes a can or bottle of beer from the ice or from the fridge, there is of course nothing to worry about, but if the person first disappears into the kitchen and then comes back with a "surprise cocktail," be wary. Who knows, maybe the drink is packed with alcohol or, worse, so-called date rape drugs, and you could end up in a very dangerous situation. A date rape drug is a narcotic drug that rapists sneak into their victim's drink with the intention of raping him or her during the date.
- It's not necessarily impolite to refuse a drink. Just be honest about why you're not taking it. Either way, it's always better to appear unkind than to put yourself in danger.
Don't lose sight of your drink. At a party or in a bar or disco always keep your drink in your hand or at least never lose sight of it. If you put your drink down and walk away, someone could put something in it, or you could be mistaken and mistakenly grab someone else's glass instead of your own drink that might contain something stronger.
- When you go to the bathroom, ask a good friend to hold your glass for you or take it to the toilet. That way you prevent people from spilling your drink.

Tips

If you keep losing control of yourself and doing stupid things every time you go out to drink, or if your friends keep bringing you home because you are unconscious, eventually no one will want to date you again and you can be sure are that you have gone too far. In that case, you may well have a serious problem. In that case, seek help as soon as possible.
Remember that drinking alcohol is NOT a solution to any problem and that it can cause more problems in your life sooner. If you enjoy drinking, try sticking to one or two drinks at a time. If you are on the light side, you can even try to drink less. Drinking alcohol and being drunk is bad for you because you lose brain cells. Moreover, it is extremely dangerous to be "under the influence". You don't have to get drunk every time you drink; you can also drink in moderation. If you often get drunk, always make sure that you are with someone and that you are in a safe place where you cannot cause damage and that is preferably also closed off so that you cannot damage anything outside of that area.
Alcohol is depressing. Therefore, it is not a good idea to combine alcohol with stimulants (especially caffeine) such as coffee or energy drinks. Stimulants fool your body by making you feel more alert and aware of your surroundings, which can make you feel like you could still have a few more drinks. Therefore, never forget to keep track of how many drinks you already had that evening.
- Stimulants also increase your heart rate and, when combined with alcohol, can lead to acute cardiac arrhythmias and other serious heart conditions.
Take never sleeping pills or medicines (whether you have been prescribed them by the doctor or bought them without a prescription from the drugstore does not matter) in combination with alcohol if the medicine is known to cause side effects in combination with alcohol.

Warnings

Avoid alcohol after taking painkillers or any other pain medicine.
If you see someone who has become unconscious after drinking large amounts of alcohol, not regains consciousness and does not throw up, take him or her to the hospital. The person may have suffered from alcohol poisoning. Unconsciousness is a life-threatening situation so take action as soon as possible.
Be aware that any amount of alcohol, however small, can affect your coordination and mood. The extent to which this is the case depends on your age, your BMI or your body-mass index and the speed at which you drink. Drinking sensibly means knowing your own limits, drinking in moderation and dealing with it in an adult way.
If you drink, don't even think about driving. Walk home, call a taxi, or ask if you can drive with someone.
Don't drink because you have problems. Going to a café with a group of friends when the Dutch national team is playing does not necessarily have to be a problem, but reaching for the whiskey bottle again and again after your courtship has gone out for the umpteenth time is a different story.
The number of deaths from alcohol? 23,199. This does not include the number of deaths from accidents and murder or manslaughter.
Never drink alcohol in combination with energy drinks. Energy drinks suppress the drunken feeling that alcohol gives you. This is dangerous because it prevents you from judging how drunk you are and increases the risk of alcohol poisoning.