Cutting back on alcohol

Heavy or long-term drinkers

It’s important to speak to your doctor if you drink alcohol at risky levels or are considering cutting back or quitting alcohol use entirely. Risky levels are more than ten standard drinks in one week or four standard drinks in one day.

Your GP can provide help including prescribing medication, symptom management and withdrawal planning. They will also be able to connect you with appropriate other treatment services in your area, such as counselling, withdrawal management or rehabilitation services.

You can refer yourself to Canberra Health Services’ Alcohol and Drug Service by calling the Alcohol and Drug Service Intake & Helpline on 02 5124 9977. The service provides counselling and withdrawal services for people experiencing alcohol related issues.

You can also find information on a full range of accredited ACT treatment services on the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT services program directory.

Standard drinks

To stay within the recommended alcohol guidelines, you should know what a standard drink is.

A standard drink contains 10 grams of alcohol, which looks different depending on the type of drink and the glass or container it is served in.

One standard drink equates to:

• a can of mid-strength beer
• a 100 ml glass of red wine
• a 30 ml shot of spirits.

This is how one standard drink looks:

Wine
100ml
13% alcohol

Sparkling wine
100ml
13% alcohol

Spirits
30ml nip (shot glass)
40% alcohol

Cider
285ml glass (pot/middy)
4.9% alcohol

Beer (full strength)
285ml glass (pot/middy)
4.9% alcohol

Beer (mid strength)
285ml glass (pot/middy)
3.5% alcohol

Beer (light)
425ml glass (schooner)
2.7% alcohol

Keeping track of how many standard drinks you have will also help if you want to reduce or stop drinking.

Drinks at bars and restaurants can be more than a standard drink. The drinks you pour at home are also likely to be more than a standard drink.

Try the online standard drinks tool from AlcoholThinkAgain to measure your usual pour and see how it stacks up against the measurements.

Go to the standard drinks guide on the Australian Department of Health website to find out more.

Set goals and track your progress

If you want to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, having a plan will help you stay on track.

It can be helpful to set a goal, for example, to have more alcohol-free days or to have no more than two standard drinks each time you drink alcohol.

To help with your plan, think about:

• Your goals – why do you want to reduce or quit alcohol?
• Your triggers – why and when do you drink alcohol?
• Strategies to overcome these – how will you reduce or quit alcohol?
• Support networks and services – who will you turn to for help?

Sharing your goals with close family members and friends can help you achieve them – by increasing your commitment to achieve your goals and securing their support to help you keep them.

Using an app to keep track of your drinking can help in cutting back on alcohol and understanding your habits.

Popular apps include Daybreak and Drinksmeter.

For more information and support go to alcohol support services.