Plus 7 practical tips to help you do just that.

You’ve seen it on TV ads, heard it on the radio, glimpsed it on billboards, and even spotted it in Instagram captions, but what does “drink responsibly” really mean?

Chances are, unless you’re someone who works with alcohol, you’ve probably come across the term and never been sure. And even if you did do your RSA for that bar job in your early twenties, you could always do with a refresher. Which is exactly why we’re here to fill you in. (Don’t worry, it’s less of a boring lecture and more of an empowering framework.)

Putting it simply, responsible drinking is all about knowing and understanding your relationship with alcohol. Because the more you know, the more you can enjoy that glass of *insert your favourite drink here*. Like most things in life, alcohol – when enjoyed in moderation – can form part of a healthy lifestyle alongside a good diet and plenty of exercise. On the other hand, excessive drinking can have harmful effects on your health.

There are lots of different strategies for drinking responsibly, from cutting back to exploring low-alcohol options and even keeping a drinks diary. Below, we’ve highlighted seven of these practical tips that’ll help you on your path to responsible drinking.

1. Know your standard drinks

That little standard drinks number on the label of your drink is your new best friend. Because the best way to enjoy a few drinks without any stress is to keep track of your standards. In Australia we’ve defined a standard drink as 10g of alcohol, so the number of standard drinks will depend on what you’re drinking and how big the serving is. Trust us, it’s not as complicated as it sounds — we’ve already done the maths for you.

2. Swap out every second drink

The best sesh is a responsible sesh. Simply swap out every second drink for a non-alcoholic option and you can double your quality time with family and friends. Water is an obvious choice, but you could just as easily grab something a bit fancy like a boutique soda, or a gut-healthy kombucha, or even get a lil fancy with a non-alcoholic cocktail— complete with cocktail umbrella (obviously).

3. Try low or no-alcohol options

Any good non-alcoholic cocktail is going to tap into the ever-expanding world of non-alcoholic spirits. Over the last few years we’ve seen a bunch of innovative producers create epicly botanical spirits that contain all of the flavour and none of the booze. And it’s not just spirits that are going alcohol-free, new varieties of zero alcohol beer, wine and cider are landing all the time. Your other best bet is low-alcohol options, which still contain some alcohol but way less than the regular choices, which means your standard drinks will go a lot further.

4. Track your drinking habits with a drinks diary

Dear Diary, today I drank two beers and they were delicious…. OK, it’s not really that kind of diary — but it’s not far off. Stepping back and evaluating your drinking habits is a great way to get some clarity. Over a week, keep a diary of how often and how much you drink. You can write it on paper, pop it into the notes app on your phone, or try a drink diary app like Drinks Meter.

5. Choose alcohol-free days, weeks or months

Wine-free Wednesday. Stubby-free Sunday. No Tequila Tuesday. What will your alcohol free days be called? Just like people are choosing meat-free days to eat more vegetables, taking a break from alcohol is a simple way to practice moderation.

6. Watch out for peer pressure

The only person who can decide if you want a drink is you. End of list. And even though we’ve all got that slightly pushy family member or enticing friend who’ll say “go on'', we don’t have to listen to them. You can always stick to your guns, after all, they might not even realise they’re peer pressuring you. If you’re not drinking tell them why, perhaps they’ll even join you in skipping that extra drink.

7. Plan alcohol free activities

Do you and your friend always need cocktails in order to catch up? Of course not, your friendship is so much more than a cheeky Margarita and gossip. Save the margs for next time and try something that doesn’t centre on drinking for this hangout. A coffee or a walk is the easy answer but the sky’s the limit… wait, should you two try skydiving together?