Decide your answer before the moment comes.
4 min read
Optional. Skip it if it doesn't apply to you.
Most habits break in the moment: the menu, the party, the long day at home.
The last two lessons are easier when you've decided your answer ahead of time. This lesson gives you the drinks, the lines to say, and a plan for the nights that are hardest. It makes no health claims. It's a practical plan.
Deciding ahead of time reduces the number of decisions you have to make in the moment. Knowing what you'll order before you walk in can make it easier to stick with your plan.
Having a drink already chosen gives you an easy answer when someone asks what you'd like. Most people won't ask for an explanation.
5 oz
is one standard glass of wine (about 12% alcohol), and 12 oz is one beer (about 5%). Stronger wine or beer counts as more than one drink.
NIAAA, standard drink sizes
1 to 3+
standard drinks can be in a single mixed drink
NIAAA
Some drinks sold as non-alcoholic, like non-alcoholic beer and wine, can contain a small amount of alcohol (in the U.S., less than 0.5% by volume). If you want to avoid alcohol completely, check the label.
Sparkling water with lime or cucumber
The easy default. Looks like a cocktail in a glass with ice.
Sparkling water with berries and mint
Muddle a few berries and mint leaves, top with sparkling water.
Unsweetened iced tea with lemon
Works at any restaurant and at home.
Mocktail, one splash of juice
Sparkling water, a splash of juice, fresh herbs and ice. The splash adds flavor without the sugar of a full glass.
Ginger and lime
Fresh ginger slices and lime in sparkling water, with no added sugar.
Hot herbal tea
A good evening drink that feels like a ritual.
Decaf coffee
A good after-dinner order, with no sugar.
Water with citrus or mint
A pitcher on the table works at any gathering.
Club soda with a splash of cranberry
Use just a splash and skip the sweetened mixers.
A mocktail from the menu
Ask what they can do without alcohol, and confirm it's made without alcohol. Many places will make one.
At a restaurant
"I'll have a sparkling water with lime, please."
At a party
"I'm good with this, thanks. I've got my drink." Then take your own sparkling water or mocktail.
When someone pushes
"Not tonight, but I'll toast with you." Keep it short. You don't owe a reason.
If you'd rather not say why
"I'm taking a break from alcohol right now."
At home
Make your drink first, before you reach for the bottle.
The American Cancer Society recommends avoiding alcohol for cancer prevention. For women who choose to drink, its upper limit is 1 standard drink a day. That's a guideline, not a guarantee of safety, and fewer drinks mean less alcohol exposure. A few practical habits: measure your first pour at 5 ounces for wine, alternate with a glass of water, and set your number before you go out. Those are suggestions, not research findings.
Check in with yourself
Decide whether you actually want another drink or you're just following the group.
Switch to something else
Water or one of the drinks above.
Don't let one drink end the plan
One unplanned drink isn't a reason to give up your overall goal.
Get home safely
If you're drinking, arrange a sober ride. Never drive after drinking.
Myth
Ordering a non-alcoholic drink makes you the odd one out.
What research says
Having a simple response ready can make declining alcohol less awkward. You don't owe anyone an explanation, and you don't need to order anything to justify your decision.
Practical tip
Myth
A splash doesn't count.
What research says
A single mixed drink can contain 1 to 3 or more standard drinks, so the pour matters more than the glass.
NIAAA
Choose your go-to
Pick one drink from the list above and write it down. It's your answer for the next night out.
Make one at home
Try a mocktail on a weeknight when you'd normally pour a glass.
Prepare your line
Pick one of the lines above that sounds like you.
Tell one person
Tell whoever you usually drink with what you're ordering. It makes it easier to follow through.
- NIAAA: What is a standard drink?
- American Cancer Society: Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention
If you don't drink, skip this lesson or use the drinks list for gatherings.