Ah, alcohol. Many people go to parties without drinking alcohol, but a little bit of alcohol can make you feel more relaxed and help you enjoy socializing. Alcohol can also be more potent, unpleasant or dangerous than you think. You don’t have to worry–follow these smart drinking habits, and you will be able to enjoy your next party in a safe environment.
1 What to eat before and after the party.
- Before a night out drinking, eat a lot of high-protein foods. Alcohol will hit you faster if you are not eating. You’ll enjoy your night more and have more control over how drunk you become if you eat before you go out. This is best done with high-protein foods such as meat, tofu or cheese. Continue to snack at the party.
- Pack a few protein bars for the trip to the party if you are short on time.
- Salty snacks can make you thirsty. This is okay as long as you respond by drinking water, not alcohol.
2 Drink slowly with sweet drinks and cocktails.
- Even if you don’t feel the alcohol, sip slowly. You’ll enjoy a drink more if you mix juice or soda with rum. It’s soda or juice mixed with hard liquor, like rum. Don’t go overboard. Even if the drink is delicious, there can be a lot of alcohol in it. You can drink a whole glass of wine in an hour. This is the fastest your body can digest it.
- Do not feel obligated to drink more than others. Enjoying yourself with one or two drinks will suffice. You can also think of “one” drink as roughly equal to a can or glass of beer. A cocktail or large glass of beer could easily contain as much alcohol as two or even three drinks.
- Alcopops, wine coolers and other sweet bottled drinks are generally weaker than cocktails. They contain about 5% alcohol (like beer), but their sweetness can make them easy to consume too quickly.
- You should avoid “shots” of hard liquor if you are a first-time drinker. You can get drunk quickly with these, but they are strong and unpleasant for those who are not used to it.
3 Track your feelings as you drink.
- Alcohol can make you feel relaxed, excited and confused. You can feel “tippy” even before you have finished your first drink. This is when people start to feel more confident, relaxed and happy. This can lead to confusion, mood swings and excitement if you continue drinking. As you get past the tipping point, you will notice more physical effects. Talking, hearing and seeing are all affected by alcohol.
- Waiting between drinks and drinking slowly helps you to stay in the early stages. You’re more likely to avoid getting too drunk if you wait an hour between drinks.
- Alcohol intolerance is evident if your face and neck turn red and warm immediately after drinking alcohol. This is common among those with East Asian genes. You should stop drinking immediately and observe your reaction. Even a small amount of alcohol can have unpleasant side effects, such as nausea or an increased heart rate.
4 Switch from alcoholic to non-alcoholic beverages.
- After each glass of alcohol, drink a glass or two of juice, water, or soda. Pour yourself a tall, non-alcoholic glass every time you finish drinking. You can then see how your body feels before deciding to drink any more. This will also keep you hydrated so that you won’t reach for another beer because you are thirsty.
- Reader poll: When we asked 227 Wiki readers how they like to pace themselves when drinking, 52% said that they prefer drinking water over alcoholic beverages.
5 Don’t drink if you don’t know what is in them.
- Drinks like punch bowls or mysterious drinks may contain alcohol in excess. What is that mixed drink with a pineapple energy drink? It’s a drink you don’t know what it contains, but it’s a sure thing at parties. Strongly Recommended. You should enjoy your first drink, but be careful. Don’t throw up after drinking expired orange juice mixed in with bathtub moonshine.
- Unfortunately, it happens too often that people slip drugs into drinks left unattended. Accept only drinks that have been mixed or are opened in front of your face.
6 Learn how to make a weak cocktail.
- You can use plastic cups or spoons to guide you when making cocktails. You might be served a much stronger drink than you can handle by another partygoer. Mix yourself with a weaker drink, which you will enjoy. If you are using an American party cup, it’s easy. Pour the vodka up to the bottom line of the cup, and then add the juice or soda until the cup is at least half full. If you do not have these cups, you can use a kitchen spoon. One or two will make a weak mix drink.
- If there aren’t any spoons, you can use the bottlecap. Bottlecaps are not standardized, but two bottlecaps (or slightly less) full is about right.
7 How to say no to extra beverages.
- If you can’t refuse, get something else. Staying safe at parties means dealing with peer pressure. Never accept a drink just because it’s polite. You have every right to refuse. Make a vague explanation (“I have a lot to do tomorrow”) or “I’ll get something for myself” if someone is persistent. Pour yourself some juice or water.
- It’s also a problem when you are offered to “top-up” your drink even before it is finished. This makes it difficult to track your drinking.
- When someone drinks a lot and tries to get others to drink with them, they are likely only interested in getting drunk and not you. You can usually get them to move on by saying something like, “sure, perhaps a little later”.
- Ask a friend to help you change the topic, ignore the other person or call them out directly. You can ask a friend to help you change the subject, ignore the person or call them out directly.
8 Avoid caffeine, tobacco and other dru
- Alcohol makes it difficult to make wise decisions and track your progress. Cannabis or other mind-altering drugs can make this problem worse and have dangerous side effects.
- It is dangerous to drink both caffeine and alcohol at the same time, as feeling energized and excited may lead you to overdrink.
- Nicotine is similar to caffeine in that it can counteract the drowsiness caused by alcohol. Smokers should be careful not to smoke too much and drink less than planned just because they don’t feel drunk.
- If you decide to use other drugs, let a friend know what you have taken. This will make it easier for someone to help you in an emergency.
9 Take care when playing drinking games.
- If you want to have fun, drink non-alcoholic drinks. All drinking games, including beer pong and king’s cups, have the same goal: to get you drunk. It’s difficult to refuse when a group of friends is urging you to drink. This leads to “accidental” drinking. You can join the fun by being smart.
- You can also use water or soda or even something weaker like light beer.
- If the rules of the game say to drink a little, don’t swallow a lot.
- You can share the drinks with a friend who has more experience.
- Track how much alcohol you consume and how you feel. If things start to go too far, you can leave the game.
10 Plan a safe return trip to your home.
- You should not drink until you are sure you can safely get home. Driving while intoxicated is dangerous. You should consider your options before you go to the party. Consider walking home, taking public transportation, a taxi or rideshare service, or getting in a car with a sober buddy.
- It’s best to prepare for the worst, whether or not you expect to get drunk. Ask a friend to walk with you, if possible, rather than drive. Even pedestrians can be at risk from alcohol.
- Check if the university you attend offers a student transport service.
11 Protect yourself against risky sex.
- Alcohol can make sex more dangerous. Alcoholics are more likely to engage in unsafe sexual activity than those who are sober. Alcohol can make your partner (or you) too drunk to consent. This could have serious consequences for the morning after. This is not the place to be if this is your first time drinking.
- Even in a long-term sexual relationship, rape can occur. If you’re too drunk to make good decisions, your partner should not have sex.
