Rethinking Drinking

Do you know how much drinking is too much? Do you know how your drinking patterns compare to others? Is your drinking risky? A new website launched by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism can help you answer those questions and provide support and tools for you to use if you are considering making a change in your drinking.

The site, Rethinking Drinking offers research-based information for anyone who currently drinks alcohol.

According to Maureen Gardner, a technical writer and editor for the NIAAA, visitors to the Rethinking Drinking site find its tone is informational and supportive and say it’s both helpful and “not a guilt-fest.”

Assess Your Drinking Pattern

Under the section “How Much Is Too Much?” the website explains what counts as a standard drink, what levels of drinking are considered at-risk or heavy, and outlines the harm that can come from drinking at risky levels.

The site allows visitors to compare their drinking patterns to percentages for the entire population. It also outlines situations in which even low-risk alcohol consumption should be avoided, such as when driving or when pregnant.

Thinking About a Change?

The “Thinking About a Change?” section offers resources for those contemplating a change in their drinking, strategies to use for cutting down, support for different approaches to quitting drinking and tools and resources to help.

The site offers interactive worksheets to help you weight the pros and cons of making a change, planning to change and keeping track of your drinking patterns. It also offers calculators to help you estimate drink sizes, cocktail content, calories and blood alcohol concentration.

The site also provides a link where visitors can order a paper copy of the 16-page “Rethinking Drinking: Alcohol and Your Health” brochure or download the PDF version.