Make a Plan to Manage Drinking

Now that you’ve learned about the pros of reducing/stopping drinking while you quit smoking, the next step is to make a plan.

We recommend a 3-part plan that covers the following:

  1. Avoid drinking for a period of time as you get used to being a non-smoker
  2. Avoid drinking in specific situations or with particular people
  3. If you do decide to drink, set limits on how much you drink and make a plan for protecting your quit

We recommend not drinking for the first month that you are quitting smoking. After that first month, we recommend never drinking more than 3 drinks/day if you are a woman and not more than 4 drinks/day if you are a man. Staying within these limits will help you avoid a slip and will protect your health.

Write down your answers to the following questions and keep a copy nearby to help stay on track.

  • I plan to avoid drinking completely for [a week? a month? Write in a time period]
  • If I do drink alcohol, I will limit myself to no more than ___ drinks on any occasion.
  • I will avoid drinking in the following situations: ________________________________

Need more additional strategies?

I Want to Avoid Drinking

Check out the strategies below that you can use to avoid drinking.

Find alternatives to drinking. Develop new, healthy activities, hobbies, and relationships, or renew ones you've missed. If alcohol has helped you be more comfortable in social situations, manage moods, or cope with problems, find healthy ways to deal with those areas of your life.

Avoid drinking "triggers." Try to avoid people or places that make you want to drink. If certain activities, times of day, or feelings trigger the urge, plan something else to do instead of drinking. If drinking at home is a problem, don’t bring alcohol into the house.

Plan to handle urges. When you cannot avoid a trigger and an urge hits, consider these options:

  • Remind yourself of your reasons for changing (it can help to carry them in writing or store them in an electronic message you can access easily).
  • Talk things through with someone you trust.
  • Get involved with a healthy, distracting activity, such as physical exercise or a hobby that doesn't involve drinking.
  • Instead of fighting the feeling, accept it and ride it out without giving in, knowing that it will soon crest like a wave and pass.

Know your "no." You're likely to be offered a drink at times when you don't want one. What should you do? Here are some suggestions on how to handle this situation:

  • Be polite, but convincing when you say no!
  • Respond quickly, the quicker the better because this tells the person you are serious.

I Want to Limit Drinking

Check out the strategies below that you can use to limit drinking.

Keep track. Keep track of how much you drink. Find a way that works for you:

  1. Carry a drinking tracker card in your wallet,
  2. Make check marks on a kitchen calendar, or
  3. Enter notes in a mobile phone notepad or personal digital assistant.
  4. Making note of each drink before you drink it may help you slow down when needed.

Count and measure. Know the standard drink sizes so you can count your drinks accurately.

  1. Measure drinks at home.
  2. Away from home, it can be hard to keep track, especially with mixed drinks, and at times, you may be getting more alcohol than you think.
  3. With wine, you may need to ask the host or server not to "top off" a partially filled glass.

Set goals.

  1. Decide how many days a week you want to drink and how many drinks you'll have on those days.
  2. It's a good idea to have some days when you don't drink.
  3. Remember - people who always stay within the low-risk limits when they drink have the lowest rates of alcohol-related problems.

Pace and space. When you do drink, pace yourself. Sip slowly. Have no more than one standard drink with alcohol per hour. Have "drink spacers"—make every other drink a non-alcoholic one, such as water, soda, or juice.

Include food. Don't drink on an empty stomach. Eat some food so the alcohol will be absorbed into your system more slowly.

If you want more information on managing alcohol use or on quitting drinking, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has a useful page of Help links and US residents can order a free booklet on alcohol and health.

What's next?

Back to Health Issues and Benefits of Quitting

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