Responsible drinking

If you drink alcohol, health care providers advise limiting how much you drink. This is called drinking in moderation, or responsible drinking.

Definition of Responsible Drinking

Responsible drinking means more than just limiting yourself to a certain number of drinks. It also means not getting drunk and not letting alcohol control your life or your relationships.

Tips of Drinking Responsibly

The tips in this article are for people who:

• Do not have a drinking problem, now or in the past
• Are old enough to drink legally
• Are not pregnant

Healthy men of legal drinking age should limit themselves to:

• No more than 2 drinks a day
• No more than 14 drinks a week

Healthy women of legal drinking age should limit themselves to:

• No more than 1 drink a day
• No more than 7 drinks a week

Other habits that will help you be a responsible drinker include:

• Never drinking alcohol and driving.
• Having a designated driver if you are going to drink. This means riding with someone in your group who has not been drinking, or taking a taxi or bus.
• Not drinking on an empty stomach. Have a snack or meal before you drink and while you are drinking.

If you take any medicines, including ones you bought without a prescription, check with your provider before you drink. Alcohol can affect the way your body uses some medicines. A medicine may not work correctly, or it could be dangerous or make you sick if combined with alcohol.

If excessive alcohol use or problem drinking runs in your family, you may be at a higher risk of having an alcohol problem yourself. Not drinking at all might be best for you.

Can Responsible Drinking Improve Your Health?

Many people drink now and then. You may have heard about some health benefits from moderate drinking. None of these benefits have been definitively proven. None of them should be used as a reason for drinking.

Some of the possible benefits of moderate drinking that have been studied are:

• Reduced risk of heart disease or a heart attack

  Heart disease or a heart attack

  Studies have shown that adults who drink light to moderate amounts of alcohol may be less likely to develop heart disease than those who do not drink...

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• Reduced risk of strokes

  Strokes

  A stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...

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• Lower risk of gallstones
• Lower risk of diabetes

  Diabetes

  Diabetes is a long-term (chronic) disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.

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When to Call the Doctor

Contact your provider if:

• You are concerned about your own drinking or a family member's drinking.
• You would like more information about alcohol use or support groups for problem drinking.
• You are unable to drink less or stop drinking, even though you have tried.