Drinking Responsibly
Alcoholism, Alcoholic, Drinking Problem
Curated By
Therese Basham
Therese Basham is an independent Marketing and Communications Consultant based in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to being a stay-at-home mom to her son and daughter for the past twenty years, she has remained engaged as a free-lance marketing and communications writer, photographer, and videographer. She recently joined the Association of Professional Photo Organizers and is now helping individuals bring order to their digital and physical photo and video collections. Therese is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where she studied marketing and psychology.
They Might Be Thinking:
- Can I drive home after I've had a couple of drinks?
- I don't want to have to call my parents for a ride home.
- My parents said I should call them if I ever need a ride home after I've been drinking, but did they really mean it?
- I don't want to get a lecture about drinking if I call my parents for a ride home.
- I don't live with my parents anymore, so I don't want to call them for a ride home.
- It's too late for me to call my parents or a friend for a ride home.
- I've been drinking and know I shouldn't risk driving home. My friend said I could get a ride with him/her and he/she hasn't had as much to drink as I have.
- I really want to go home, but none of my friends want to leave the bar/party.
- How much alcohol is too much?
- Is binge drinking really that bad for you?
- I can't remember everything that happened last night.
- I'm perfectly capable of staying out late, having a few drinks, and being able to rally in the morning for work.
- I can't get drunk if I just stick to beer.
- It takes a lot of alcohol before I start to feel drunk, so I know I have a high tolerance.
- I only drink on weekends, so I know I don't have a problem.
Words That Might Be Encouraging:
- It's never okay to drive yourself home after you've been drinking.
- If you drive somewhere and wind up drinking some alcohol, please call me to give you a ride home, no matter what time it is. I'll pick you up, no questions asked. (But we might chat about it the next day.)
- If I'm not available to drive you home and you've been drinking, be sure to take an Uber, Lyft, or taxi.
- Even if it costs a few bucks to get home, it's far less than the cost would be if you were to get into an accident and hurt yourself or somebody else, or get arrested for driving under the influence.
- Take turns with your friends being the designated driver and watch out for each other.
- Never get a ride home from a friend who has been drinking, even if they were supposed to be the designated driver.
- Be sure to have a friend with you at all times when you are drinking. Don't walk home from a bar or party by yourself.
- Never drink to the point where you can't make good decisions. Know your limits.
- Everybody metabolizes alcohol differently. There's no good guide for how much you can drink without becoming drunk/unable to drive.
- Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks in a row for men, and four or more for women. Do you drink that much? Because it can adversely affect your health and ability to make good decisions.
- I worry about your health when you are going out so much and drinking to the point where you can't drive home or remember what happened.
- You may not be putting forth your best effort if you are going to work hungover, and people are likely to notice.
- If you need increasing amounts of alcohol to feel its effect, it could be a sign that you need to cut back on how much you drink.
- You don't need to drink every day to have a drinking problem.
- Drinking too much can lead to health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and an increased risk of certain types of cancer.
- Just remember that you can always talk to me.
- I love you and I trust you to make good decisions.
Words That Might Be Discouraging:
- You're probably okay to drive if you just had one or two drinks.
- Don't even think about calling me for a ride home if it's after 10:00 p.m. and you know I'm in bed.
- If you can't drive yourself home because you've been drinking, that's your problem and you'll just have to work it out.
- Uber, Lyft, and taxis are expensive, so you should avoid those options if you can.
- Don't volunteer to be the designated driver; it's too much responsibility.
- Don't you have a friend who can drive you home?
- As long as you only have one drink per hour, you should be okay.
- Just drink a glass of water in between every drink and you won't get drunk.
- Drink some coffee before you go to work the morning after you go out, and that will sober you right up.
- You have to stop drinking during the week or you'll lose your job.
- If you keep drinking so much, you'll become an alcoholic.
- You drink way too much and need to stop.
- I have a lot more experience than you do, so I know when I can drive home after I've had a few drinks.
- I don't care if you are 21, I don't approve of you drinking.
- You are very irresponsible to drink so much.
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