- In light of new research, experts are saying Americans should cut back on drinking.
- A new study found that 20% of deaths in 20- to 49-year-olds from 2015 to 2019 were linked to alcohol use.
While it can be safe to drink moderately, many Americans may want to reconsider the amount they drink regularly, says George Koob, the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
But most people have a hard time discerning when they've gone beyond moderate drinking and should consider cutting back, according to Koob.
According to a study published in November 2022 in the JAMA Network, alcohol is a leading cause of preventable death in the US.
The researchers found that between 2015 and 2019, one in eight deaths in US adults between the ages of 20 to 64 could be attributed to excessive alcohol consumption, and for 20- to 49-year-olds, one in five deaths were related to overdrinking. The primary causes of death were alcohol and other poisonings, motor-vehicle accidents, and alcohol-related liver disease.
A CDC report published the same week found that alcohol-related deaths rose 26% between 2019 and 2020.
While these findings are a concern, there are practical ways to cut back on drinking, such as planning break days and switching to mocktails or nonalcoholic beers. Here are nine expert tips that may help.
1. Listen to your body
Koob says he likes to recommend an intuitive approach to drinking moderately. Monitor how your body responds to alcohol, as well as how you feel when you don't drink.
"If you skip drinking for a day or two and you suddenly have more energy, you're meeting your deadlines a little better, you're not snapping at your significant other — you should be listening to that, right?" he said.
However, this approach is not going to work for everyone, he said, like those with alcohol-use disorder. Reducing or stopping drinking alcohol after drinking heavily for a period can also cause mental and physical effects like nausea, insomnia, and anxiety, according to WebMD.
2. Keep alcohol out of your house
Keeping alcohol out of your house is one of the most effective ways to prevent yourself from pouring a drink.
"The goal is to make alcohol as 'unavailable' as possible. By creating a number of steps — get your keys, get your wallet, drive to the store — you create barriers to drinking," says David Fiellin, MD, an addiction medicine expert at Yale Medicine.
3. Set a limit on the number of drinks you can have
Setting a limit on the number of drinks you can have per day may help curb your drinking. You can also set a few days of the week as alcohol-free days. Just make sure to set your own schedule based on your own consumption habits and goals.
If you're goal is moderate drinking, the CDC defines this as two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. However, many folks drink more than this and may not realize it qualifies as binge drinking.
Binge drinking entails having four or more drinks in two hours for women and five or more drinks for men. About 25.8% of people 18 or older binge drank in 2019, and 14.5 million adults have an alcohol use disorder.
Fiellin says it's important to note that there is the same amount of alcohol in a 12-ounce bottle of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and a 1.5 ounce shot of distilled spirits. Be careful to follow these guidelines when consuming alcohol, since larger mugs of beer, heavy pours of wine, and mixed drinks might actually be more than one drink.
Koob adds that alcohol use should be understood on a spectrum. While some people may be able to enjoy a glass of wine on occasion, others with moderate to severe alcohol-use disorder struggle to cut back or quit despite the consequences they experience. And some, like those who are pregnant, should not drink at all, he says.
4. Take break days with firm boundaries
The most difficult part of limiting drinking for many people, Koob says, is how much alcohol is tied to socializing. It can be awkward to tell a friend that you usually drink with that you're not going to drink.
The most straightforward way to approach this situation is to make a plan for yourself, and be firm about your boundaries if someone pushes you. This plan can be for one night, a certain length of time, or a few days every week, but it's important to try and stick to it in order to accomplish your goal.
He says friends should be understanding, especially if you make it clear it's important to you.
5. Eat while you drink
Eating while you drink can be beneficial for a few reasons. First, it may slow the rate at which you consume alcohol. Secondly, you may also be less likely to drink more if you are full from eating your food.
Furthermore, eating while you drink can change how your body processes the alcohol.
"Food slows the absorption of alcohol which decreases the rate at which alcohol enters the bloodstream. This can decrease the reinforcing effect of alcohol to a small degree," Fiellin says.
6. Have a good reason ready
If you're struggling with the social dynamics of cutting back, Koob recommends having a good excuse on hand.
"Have whatever your regular excuse is ready — if you're a student, maybe it's, 'I have a term paper due tomorrow.' If you're a project manager, it can be something like, 'There's a big meeting with my team tomorrow. I have to be sharp,'" he says.
Koob says he'll often make himself the designated driver so he won't be questioned about drinking.
7. Keep a journal of your drinking habits
Fiellin says keeping a journal of your drinking habits can help to reinforce how you stick to your limits. You can write down the limits that you set for yourself daily or weekly, as well as the number of drinks that you actually consume.
You can also write down how you were feeling before you had the drinks plus where you were when you drank to determine if there is a pattern.
Establishing a pattern can then help you identify why you're drinking so much, and figure out if you're drinking due to a certain trigger.
For example, you may realize you're always drinking when you're sad or you're always drinking when you're with certain friends.
8. Mocktails can help you feel less awkward
Drinking mocktails and nonalcoholic beer is another way you can abstain without calling attention to yourself, Koob says.
"If you're at a party and you have a glass and you put a lime and some Perrier, Pellegrino, or something like that in it, nobody knows what you're drinking," he says.
Most people likely wouldn't question what you're drinking anyway, he says, and it gives you something to sip on throughout the party.
If you're hosting a social event, it's important to provide nonalcoholic options for people who might not want to drink, he adds.
9. Replace drinking with a healthier habit
There are many healthy habits you can replace drinking alcohol with, whether it's drinking a healthier option, such as sparkling water, or doing something different altogether.
"If we do something — anything — while we are thinking of having that first drink, we change our focus to something hopefully healthier," Fiellin said.
He suggested engaging in other activities such as:
- Spending time with a friend or family member: Doing activities like golfing, bowling, or going for a walk is a way to spend time with a loved one who can help you feel joy without the alcohol.
- Cooking: This will occupy your mind, time, and hands — plus, it will result in a sense of accomplishment once you're finished.
- Exercising: If you're drinking to feel good, you can instead turn to exercise to release natural feel-good hormones, like endorphins.
- Reading: This may occupy your mind and take your thoughts off the reason you wanted a drink in the first place.
- Start a new hobby: Find another activity that feels more rewarding than having an alcoholic beverage. Maybe it's playing the guitar or taking up a craft project."By creating new habits, we avoid the daily rituals that perpetuate daily repetitive alcohol use," Fiellin said.
Insider's takeaway
Following these nine tips, like keeping a journal, taking breaks, and listening to your body, may help you curb your drinking.
If you're still finding it hard to stop drinking so much even though you want to, check out the NIAAA's website Rethinking Drinking for more information.
And if you're worried about yourself or a loved one's relationship with alcohol, the NIAAA's treatment navigator can help you find treatment programs in your area and answer questions about insurance and costs.