The holidays are a time when many may drink some wine, but drinking too much alcohol can have harmful consequences.
Interior Health (IH) has put together a simple guide to encourage people to reduce how much alcohol they drink, and where to go for help if they are struggling to do so.
Reducing your alcohol intake or removing it from your life can have numerous benefits, from increased energy, improved sleep and concentration, lower blood sugar and blood pressure levels, as well as lower risk of stroke, hypertension, cancer, and liver disease.
The first tip IH shared is the rule of twos. IH recommended limiting yourself to two drinks per occasion, drinking water or a non-alcoholic beverage every second drink and limiting yourself to two alcoholic drinks or less per week, minimizing your risk of heart disease, stroke or cancer. Alcohol and drugs should not be mixed, as doing so can increase the risk of negative health impacts, IH said.
The health authority also noted that you should always eat before and while you drink alcohol.
The second tip is to remember that less is best.
“Any reduction in alcohol use has benefits – in other words, every drink counts,” IH stated. This is because drinking alcohol is damaging, regardless of the amount you drink, your age, gender, sex, ethnicity, tolerance for alcohol, or lifestyle. IH recommends people drink alcohol mindfully, and to ask themselves why it is they want a drink when they reach for another.
Finally, IH shared tips for the sober-curious.
“If a dry January seems like a big goal, consider a drier or damp January instead,” IH wrote. For those who would like to reduce their alcohol intake, IH said to schedule a few alcohol-free days each week, to track one’s progress, and to switch to zero per cent ‘alcoholic’ beverages.
The health authority also pointed to five tips by Alcohol Change UK to prepare you for a dry month. These include removing all the alcohol from your home, making a plan for situations when alcohol is on offer, treating yourself with the money you’ve saved from not drinking alcohol, finding a support network to either hold you accountable or join you for the challenge, and to fill the gap with activities you enjoy.
For some, suddenly stopping yourself from drinking alcohol can be dangerous – health-care providers should be consulted for help. Some can also find it challenging to do so.
To find potential low-cost treatment options near you, call 310-MHSU (6478).
IH said you can get a same-day clinical-screening and assessment for withdrawal management (detox) support by calling Access Central toll-free at 1-866-777-1103 between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. year-round.
Helpful online resources include help with drinking, Canadian Alcohol Use Disorder Society and IH’s Virtual Addiction Medicine page, where you can access the health authority’s self-referral service.
<!– rCq F EdB –>