Tips for mindful drinking and to drink less
It is an exciting time for football fans around the world as the Men’s Football World Cup is kicking off this week. With the World Cup taking place throughout the Christmas period, many people will be out celebrating the festive season and watching the matches. Sporting events are a great way to connect with your friends and family and many of us do this in the pub, a sports bar or have people around to watch the game which might include having a few drinks.
Drinkaware have provided some tips on how to practice mindful drinking and how to drink less if on a night or if you’re hosting a World Cup get-together.
If you’re heading out:
Stay out of rounds. Remember to stay out of rounds. Rounds can cause us to drink more than we intended to. This is because the person who drinks the fastest will set the pace of each round for everyone in the group. If you end up in a round, opt for a non-alcohol drink instead or sit one out.
Downsize your drink. Usually drink a pint? Ask for a half pint. A pint of beer is equal to two standard drinks. So instead of asking for a full pint, ask for a half pint. For wine, ask how many mls are in the House measure. If the pub serves small quarter bottles of wine, remember that this contains two standard drinks, not one. If you’re not sure how many standard drinks are in your drink of choice? Try our standard drinks calculator to get an estimate of how many standard drinks are in your drink of choice.
Always make sure to eat before you drink. Before you have your first drink, have a proper meal. Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach means the alcohol will pass directly into your bloodstream. This leaves you more vulnerable to becoming intoxicated and at increased risk of harm.
Plan a safe way home. With football on, there will be increased use of public transport and taxi services. Make sure to check the times of trains, buses, the Luas if based in Dublin etc in case there is a change in schedule or limited availability. Any amount of alcohol will impair your ability to drive or cycle. It takes one hour to process one standard drink so the time of your last drink will affect when it is safe to drive the next day. Pedestrians should also be careful when walking after drinking alcohol.
If you’re hosting a World Cup get together
Add alcohol-free options to your shopping list for your guests. Non-alcoholic beers, spirits and wine are more widely available – and popular – than ever. Be sure to add these to your list to give your guests more choices.
Provide your guests with food and snacks. Offer plenty of food for your guests to eat throughout the night. Don’t forget to keep the snacks replenished.
Have a few measuring tools around. This will help your guests to know exactly how many drinks they have had over the night. Free pouring makes it hard to keep track. If you don’t have any measuring tools around, you are able to order a measuring cup for free on our website.
Don’t top up your guests’ glasses. We grew up being told to never let our guests have an empty glass. However, constantly topping up their glass stops them from knowing how many drinks they have had. Instead, let them finish their drink and offer to refill it up for them or let them pour it themselves. This will allow them to keep track of how many drinks they are consuming.
Make sure to have water jugs or bottles readily available for your guests. Alcohol can cause dehydration. Plus, it makes it easier to space out alcoholic drinks over the night.
Get creative with mocktails. Why not make this an interactive part of your event? And if any children are present, this is a good way to reinforce that alcohol isn’t needed to have fun or celebrate. See here for some alcohol-free recipes.
Throughout the world cup championship and in in the run up to Christmas, feel the benefits of drinking less and practice a more mindful approach to drinking. Remember the choice to drink or not drink is yours alone, if you’d prefer to not have alcohol read our tips for cutting out alcohol entirely.