How to cut down on alcohol: a plan that starts with one number

Start with a number you can measure

Cutting down is easier to stick to when you know your starting point. NIAAA's Rethinking Drinking suggests keeping track of every drink in whatever way suits you: a card in your wallet, check marks on a calendar or notes on your phone. It adds that making a note of each drink before you drink it may help you slow down.

Counting accurately means counting standard drinks or units, not glasses. NIAAA warns that away from home it can be hard to keep track, especially with mixed drinks, and that with wine you may need to ask the host or server not to top off a partly filled glass. A large 250 ml glass of 12% wine is 3 UK units, not one drink. Our standard drink calculator shows what your usual glass holds, and the AUDIT-C check takes a minute if you want a standard way to look at your drinking.

Set a weekly goal with drink-free days

Rethinking Drinking suggests deciding how many days a week you want to drink and how many drinks you will have on those days, and says it is a good idea to have some days when you do not drink. The NHS advice for cutting down is the same in spirit: have several drink-free days each week.

National guidelines give you a ceiling to aim under. The NHS advises men and women not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis, spread over 3 or more days if you drink that much. Ireland's HSE advises at least 2 to 3 alcohol-free days a week. Our page on alcohol guidelines by country puts the numbers side by side and shows where your week sits.

Eight practical swaps from the NHS

The NHS lists simple tips for anyone who regularly drinks more than 14 units a week. None of them asks you to stop drinking completely:

• Make a plan: before you start drinking, set a limit on how much you are going to drink.
• Set a budget: only take a fixed amount of money to spend on alcohol.
• Let others know: friends and family who know you are cutting down can support you.
• Take it a day at a time: cut back a little each day, so every day you do is a success.
• Make it a smaller one: bottled beer instead of pints, or a small glass of wine instead of a large one.
• Have a lower-strength drink: swap strong beers or wines for ones with a lower ABV.
• Eat first and stay hydrated: eat and drink a glass of water before alcohol, then alternate drinks containing alcohol with water or soft drinks.
• Take a break: have several drink-free days each week.

When the plan meets a party, a bad day or a craving

Most plans fail at predictable moments. Rethinking Drinking suggests noticing what triggers your urge to drink, such as certain people, places, times of day or feelings, and either avoiding them or planning something else to do instead. If drinking at home is the problem, it suggests keeping little or no alcohol there.

When an urge comes anyway, NIAAA lists a few options: remind yourself of your reasons for changing, talk it through with someone you trust, do something distracting like exercise, or accept the feeling and ride it out, knowing it will crest like a wave and pass. It also suggests having a polite, convincing "No, thanks" ready, because the faster you say no to an offered drink, the less likely you are to give in.

If evenings at home are your main drinking time, our guide on how to stop drinking every night goes through that habit step by step.

What you may notice when you drink less

The NHS lists immediate effects of cutting down: feeling better in the mornings, being less tired during the day, better-looking skin, feeling more energetic and better weight management. It says drinking can disrupt sleep patterns and stop you sleeping deeply, so cutting down should help you feel more rested when you wake up.

Over the longer term, the NHS says cutting down can help lower your risk of serious conditions linked to drinking too much, including cancer, diabetes, dementia, stroke, and heart, liver and kidney problems. It also notes a strong link between heavy drinking and depression, and that drinking can make anxiety or low mood worse.

When quitting is the better goal

Cutting down is not the right goal for everyone. NIAAA says quitting is strongly advised if you have tried cutting down but cannot stay within the limits you set, have had alcohol use disorder or now have any symptoms, have a physical or mental health condition caused or made worse by drinking, take a medicine that interacts with alcohol, or are or might be pregnant.

It also gives a time frame: if you have not made progress in cutting down after two to three months, consider quitting drinking altogether, seeking professional help, or both. That is not a failure; it is information about what will work for you.

Withdrawal: the one reason not to go it alone

If your body has become dependent on alcohol, cutting back can bring on withdrawal symptoms. The NHS lists anxiety, difficulty sleeping, nausea and vomiting, a racing heartbeat, sweating and shaking. It says it can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly if you are dependent, and that if you get withdrawal symptoms you should get medical help before you try to stop drinking.

NIAAA adds that doctors can prescribe medicines to treat withdrawal symptoms and make the process safer and less distressing. If any of this sounds familiar, talk to your doctor before you change how much you drink.

Common questions

When to get help

This site offers self-help tools and information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor, or call one of the lines below, if:

• you feel shaky, sweaty, sick or anxious when you haven't had a drink;
• you find it hard to stop once you start, or you want to cut down and can't;
• drinking is causing problems with your health, work or the people close to you.

Before you stop: It can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly if you are dependent on alcohol. If you get withdrawal symptoms, get medical help before you try to stop drinking.

Sources

1. Tips on cutting down on alcohol. NHS. nhs.uk
2. Tips to Try (Rethinking Drinking). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov
3. To Cut Down or to Quit (Rethinking Drinking). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov
4. Alcohol units. NHS. nhs.uk
5. Alcohol-use disorder. NHS. nhs.uk
6. Weekly low-risk alcohol guidelines. Health Service Executive (Ireland). hse.ie