Tips for cutting down when out

1. Beware of rounds

Drinking in rounds may be a British tradition, but they can be expensive, dangerous if it means keeping pace with the fastest drinker in your group and a nightmare if you’re trying to cut down on alcohol. Stay in control (and save cash) by opting for smaller rounds with only a couple of friends within your group or giving rounds a miss.

2. Eat up

After-the-pub grub is another drinking tradition, but why wait until the night’s nearly over to load up on fast food? A healthy meal before you go out, and snacks between drinks can help to slow down the absorption of alcohol and so helps you stay in control. With less alcohol inside you that greasy pizza or kebab will look a lot less appetising at chucking out time too.  

3. Track your drinking on the go

If you’re out and about use our free and simple MyDrinkaware tool on your smartphone to track the alcohol you’re drinking. It will help you stay within the daily unit guidelines and stay on top of your night out.  

4. Small is better

Make the daily unit guidelines go further by having bottles of beer or halves instead of pints and choosing a smaller glass for your wine. Buying spritzers or shandies will also help keep that unit count down.

5. Make space

Sipping a soft drink between alcoholic drinks slows down the rate of your drinking and means you’ll drink less over the course of the evening. If you’re out clubbing, take a bottle of water out with you on the dancefloor. Down the pub (or even at home)? Then go for a non-alcoholic mocktail, a premium soft drink, or a glass of water.