5 tips to reduce alcohol consumption: UCalgary
Posted February 8, 2023 5:57 pm.
The University of Calgary (UCalgary) is sharing tips on how people can reduce their alcohol consumption, as new national guidelines highlight cancer risks associated with drinking.
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) is replacing the ones that came out in 2011, which considered 10 drinks per week for women, and 15 drinks per week for men a safe amount.
However, the new guidelines say that even having small amounts of alcohol can cause cancer.
According to the CCSA, anyone can develop some forms of cancer when consuming more than two drinks per week. In addition, some may develop heart diseases or strokes when consuming more than seven drinks per week.
The CCSA adds the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) identified alcohol as a group 1 carcinogen in 1988, “joining the ranks of tobacco and asbestos.”
According to a study published in The Lancet Oncology, 4.1 per cent of cancer cases in the world in 2020 were linked to alcohol.
In Canada, 40 per cent of people aged 15 and older drink more than six drinks per week, according to the CCSA.
Knowing the harms
UCalgary Harm Reduction Support Adviser Yasmeen Nosshi and Victoria Burns, associate professor in the Faculty of Social Work, say the first tip in cutting back is to understand the risk.
“Many people don’t realize the harms of alcohol — it’s an inherently addictive drug. We can’t make decisions about it without proper informed consent,” said Burns.
Although the updated guidelines are a big shift, Noshi says “at least now we can more strongly identify with the health risks involved.”
“The more you increase your consumption, your risk of injury increases as well,” added Noshi.
Noshi says there should also be warning labels on bottles.
“Cigarettes and cannabis have warning labels. They aren’t rules, and people will do what they want to do, but they should be informed,” she said.
“Even if the new guidelines are just making you think about your consumption, that is harm reduction. It’s planting seeds. People have the right to know about what they’re consuming.”
Understanding drinking habits
Burns says many Canadians do not know “what constitutes a standard drink.”
The CCSA says “a standard drink” in the country is “a 12-ounce (341 ml) bottle of five per cent alcohol beer or cider, a five-ounce (142 ml) glass of 12 per cent alcohol wine, and a 1.5-ounce (43 ml) shot glass of 40 per cent alcohol spirits.”
Meanwhile, Noshi says people can track their drinking habits, over a week or month, and try to understand what triggers them by using an app or a journal to record their consumption.
Noshi and Burns add people can start reducing their alcohol intake little by little, such as having “one drink less a night, one less a week.”
Asking yourself ‘why do you drink’?
“Ask yourself why you drink, do you think you need it to relax, socialize, have fun?” said Burns. “Also ask if alcohol is still serving you the same way it has in the past? Am I drinking more than I want to? Is it affecting my work or relationships? Do I feel discomfort or hang-xiety the day after drinking? These are all important questions to assess your relationship with alcohol and do some compassionate readjusting.”
Meanwhile, if you are someone who lives in the moment, you can use the acronym “HALT,” to ask yourself if you’re Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired, and address your needs accordingly, explained Noshi and Burns.
They add there are benefits associated with drinking less that can be a good reason to reduce the drinking habit, such as achieving better health, saving money, sleeping better, feeling better, and eliminating having a hangover.
“Personalize your motive and write it down,” Burns explained. “It helps that the motive has some teeth to it that you resonate with.”
Finding ways that work for you
Burns says she stopped having alcohol 10 years ago, and she found ways to make it easier.
“Don’t deprive yourself of fun drinks! I have lots of different cans of non-alcoholic beverages to choose from, such as a variety of sparking water, Diet Coke, juices, and kombucha. Mix yourself up a mocktail,” said Burns. “One of my favourites these days is ginger kombucha with ginger ale, or lime soda water, and a wedge of lime.”
Meanwhile, Nosshi says “mindful reduction” can also help reduce overdrinking.
“Have a set amount of money you spend on a night out, avoid shots and drinking games, buy individual amounts of wine rather than a bottle, buy short cans over tall cans,” Noshi explained. “A student once shared that they found pouring beer into a cup helped them sip slower and drink more mindfully.”
Noshi and Burns say those who drink to be social, can find other ways to socialize, such as working out, playing board games, engaging in cultural activities, getting a coffee, going for a walk, going to a movie or theatre performance, or even participating in volunteering activities.
Noshi recommends seeking professional help if the dependency is serious, noting that “reducing isn’t going to work for everyone right away.”
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Being compassionate with yourself, and with others
Burns says it is important to empathize with others who want to change their drinking habits, as quitting drinking wasn’t an easy task for her.
“It changed my life and my identity completely,” she explained.
She adds alcohol is addictive, but is socially acceptable and encouraged, making it difficult to quit.
“We often talk about how alcohol is the only substance you have to justify not taking,” she explained.
