Some say abstinence is the safest way to approach alcohol consumption. Though there’s undoubtedly a case to be made for avoiding alcohol, there’s also much people can do to drink responsibly.
Millions of people safely and healthfully consume alcohol. Adults who want to follow those individuals’ lead can keep the following three tips in mind whenever they decide to have a drink.
1. Recognize that not all types of alcohol are the same. When trying to define what qualifies as safe drinking, adults may come across recommendations touting moderate consumption, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines as two or fewer drinks per day for men and one or fewer drinks per day for women. But it’s equally important that adults recognize not all drinks are the same. For example, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that a 12-fluid ounce can of regular beer is typically about 5 percent alcohol, while a five-fluid ounce glass of wine is around 12 percent alcohol. A 1.5-fluid ounce serving of a distilled spirit such as tequila or whiskey has an alcohol content of around 40 percent. Responsible, safe and healthy drinking involves recognizing these distinctions and curtailing consumption when imbibing particularly strong types of drink, such as wine and spirits.
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2. Don’t mix drinking and driving. The advent of easily accessible rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft has made it easier than ever to avoid driving after having a drink. Despite that, arrest rates for driving under the influence (DUI) remain high. Citing recent data from the CDC, American Addiction Centers notes that the DUI arrest rate in South Dakota was 938.8 arrests per 100,000 people. Only three regions of the United States, the District of Columbia (3.2 DUI arrests per 100,000 people), Illinois (18.4) and Nebraska (40.9), had DUI arrest rates lower than 100 per 100,000 people. Mixing drinking and driving is not only a common pathway to arrest, it’s also inherently dangerous, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reporting there were more than 13,500 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2022. The safest way to avoid arrest or worse when drinking is to let someone who has not been drinking handle the driving.
3. Count your drinks. Counting drinks is another way to drink safely and reduce the likelihood that your alcohol consumption will have an adverse effect on your overall health. Though this is true regardless of which beverage adults choose to drink, it can be especially helpful for those drinking spirits, which as noted tend to be served in smaller, though no less potent, servings. In addition to counting your drinks, establish drink limits before you begin consuming alcohol. Such limits can ensure safe drinking and may prevent you from drinking too much too quickly, particularly when engaging in social drinking that can make it hard to corral consumption.
These are just three strategies adults can keep in mind when aspiring to consume alcohol in a safe and healthy way.
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