April 2020
April 2020
Limit Alcohol
Drinking alcohol may bring enjoyment (relaxation, social interactions, taste) as well as a variety of problems such as:
- Reduced inhibitions (doing and saying things you wouldn’t do or say sober)
- Motor impairment, car crashes, and other accidents
- Memory/concentration problems
- Negative interactions with prescribed medications
If you choose to drink alcohol, drink in moderation. Women and all people over age 64 should drink no more than 1 drink per day (and not more than 7 drinks per week), and men should drink no more than 2 drinks per day (and not more than 14 drinks per week). One drink is equivalent to:
- 12 oz. regular beer, usually about 5% alcohol or
- 8-9 oz. malt liquor, or
- 5 oz. table wine (12%), or
- 1.5 oz. 80-proof hard liquor
- More than 3 drinks on one occasion for women and adults over age 64
- More than 4 drinks on one occasion for men
Want to Know More?
Your VA health care team can help if you have questions about limiting alcohol. If you are concerned about your drinking, talk with them. They can help you reduce risky drinking. Alcohol dependence can be treated. Effective treatments include individual counseling, group treatments, medications to reduce craving or prevent relapse, and inpatient or residential treatment.
Consult the Veterans Health Library
http://www.veteranshealthlibrary.va.gov/
The Veterans Health Library (VHL) offers Veterans, their families, and caregivers 24/7 internet access to comprehensive, Veteran-focused health information that’s consistent with VA clinical practice. Its information, resources, and tools are engaging, “Veteran-friendly,” and written in plain language. VHL helps Veterans understand and manage health problems, make informed health decisions, and actively partner with their health care teams. Items within the VHL on Limit Alcohol:
Take a private and anonymous screening*:
Rethinking Your Drinking:
https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/
Explore these additional Department of Veterans Affairs Resources:
- Limit Alcohol: A Healthy Living Message
- Limit Alcohol Whiteboard Video
- PTSD and Problems with Alcohol Use—This site gives information on how PTSD and alcohol affect each other and where to get help.
- VetChange—a free and confidential online program for Veterans and active duty military who are concerned about their drinking.
- Alcohol and Hepatitis C—Use this interactive guide to learn what you need to know about hepatitis C and alcohol use, including alcohol's effect on liver scarring, viral load, and response to treatment.
- Drugs, Alcohol, and HIV—Use this interactive guide if you are HIV positive to learn what alcohol and other "recreational" drugs will do to your body.
Additional resources and web-based tools
(Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by NCP or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred.)
- Moderate. If you are thinking about making a change in your drinking, this website can help you decide if you are ready to change and whether to cut down or quit
https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/Thinking-about-a-change/Default.aspx - Stop. If you want to stop drinking or using drugs, consider the cognitive-behavioral program called SMART Recovery (www.smartrecovery.org). SMART Recovery is an alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous (www.aa.org). Both help people abstain from alcohol with help from mutual support groups.
