Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategies

1) Safe Drinking--Plan Your Intox Day

If you plan to get intoxicated on a given day take all necessary steps to insure that you do not
harm yourself or others. Planning ahead can save lives.

1.1) Driving, phoning, etc.

If you habitually want to drive after you start drinking just make sure that this is impossible
before taking the first drink. Give your car keys to a spouse or trusted friend before ever taking
the first drink. Or somehow lock them away in such a manner that it is impossible to get at them
until after you are sober. Do it before the first drink. If you are drinking outside the home then
make sure to take public transportation there so that your car is not available to drive home with.

If you have a tendency to make embarrassing or problematic phone calls after you have started
drinking, then make sure to unplug and lock away your telephone before you ever take the first
drink. The same if you send weird emails when intoxicated--turn that computer off and hide it
away first. Try to find a non-problematic habit such as listening to music while drinking to
distract you from those things which might cause yourself or another person harm.

If there are any things which you tend to do which cause harm when you are intoxicated--make
them impossible to do before you begin drinking.

1.2) Drinking At Home

The statement that "drinking alone is a sign of alcoholism" is a myth--because "alcoholism" is a

myth. Drinking alone at home can be much safer than going out and drinking in public if your
intent is to get intoxicated. If you are alone there is no one else to worry about getting into a fight
with. Moreover, there are no worries about getting lost on the way home or getting rolled or
attacked or being tempted to drive. Drinking constantly whether alone or in company can be
problematic because it can lead to physical dependency, but for some people drinking alone can
be smarter than getting intoxicated in public.

1.3) Go Out With A Friend

Going out drinking with a friend who you can trust to watch your back is safer than going out
drinking alone. The back watching can and should be mutual. However, beware of companions
who will egg you on into crazy behaviors. Not only can you help keep each other awake on the
subway ride home--predators who prey on drunks are more likely to go for people who are alone.

1.4) Carry Condoms

Male or female, straight or gay, ALWAYS carry condoms when you go out drinking. It is a good
habit to always carry condoms period, whether drinking or not. When people drink their
inhibitions are lowered, and people who would never have sex with a stranger when sober may
suddenly decide that this is a good idea when drunk. So have a condom handy and use it.

1.5) Mindset

As Alan Marlatt tells us, mindset is of major importance to one's behavior when drinking. Go
into your intox day with plenty of planning ahead and a determination to be safe and this will
help you go far towards reducing harm.

1.6) RU21, etc

Some supplements such as RU21 claim to reduce the negative impact of the byproducts of
alcohol metabolism. These may be worth taking as they may limit the amount of damage done to
your organs by heavy drinking, and may also help to ameliorate your morning after effects.

1.7) Take Your Vitamins

Alcohol causes vitamin loss. Replace them and safeguard your health.

1.8) Avoid Impulse Drinking

Drinking in reaction to anger is particularly likely to lead to a bad drinking episode. Unplanned
drinking episodes are also fraught with danger.

2) Reduced Drinking--Count and Schedule

2.1) You Have To Start Somewhere

If your goal is reduced drinking then you have to start somewhere. If you have drank daily for a
long time you may wish to start by doing just one abstinence day. Note: If you have been
drinking heavily for a long time you may need to taper off gradually to get to the first
abstinence day in order to avoid potentially dangerous withdrawals.The first day of abs in a
long time with none is always a great achievement. One is better than none, and better is always
better. Going from drinking 14 drinks a day to 13 drinks a day is also an improvement. Better is
better. Switching from drinking straight booze to beer or wine is also better. Remember that you
have to start somewhere and no change is too small to count. And any change for the better no
matter how small is your first victory!

2.2) Add Abstinence Days

If you have done a few abstinence days then your abstinence muscle is getting strong--it is time
to start scheduling abstinence days. Daily drinkers who want to reduce use should start by
scheduling at least one abstinence day per week--although there is no limit on the amount you
may start scheduling. You may choose to jump right in and schedule six abstinence days a week-
-or you may want to jump right into an abstinence period of 2 weeks or 30 days or even more.
You know better than anyone else what you are ready for and what you want to do.

2.3) Schedule your intox days

Schedule your intox days so that they do not interfere with important things like work or school.

2.4 Choose Your Harm Reduction Plan

Choose which and how many days each week you wish to abstain (try for at least one--although
more is generally better). Choose which and how many days each week you wish to drink
moderately (this may be zero if you don't like moderating). Choose which and how many days
you wish to get intoxicated. This is the skeleton of the Harm Reduction Plan. Flesh this out by
deciding where and under what circumstances you will do mods, abs, or intox--and you have a
full fledged harm reduction plan.

2.5) Buy Only When You Drink

This strategy is not for everyone, but some people who primarily drink at home choose not to
have alcohol in their house on abstinence days--they buy it only on the days when they intend to
drink. Some people with blue laws in their states even use Sunday--the day on which booze is
not sold--as their sober up day--on purpose.

2.6 Avoiding The Eye-Opener

If you sometimes tend to drink the morning after then it is good to have a plan to avoid the eye-
opener. One thing which can help is to buy only what you intend to drink and finish it that same
night--it may be too much effort to go out and get more the next day then.

2.7 Reduce Daily Intake

Instead of reducing the number of days you drink per week (or month) you may choose to reduce
the number of drinks you drink per day. Or you may choose to do both.

3) Avoiding Blackouts

Blackouts are no fun. People's behavior often changes for the worse during a black out and the
do things which fill the with remorse when they are told of them the following day. However,
most people can avoid blackouts by using the following tips.

3.1 Eat Before Drinking And Be Well Hydrated

If your stomach is full alcohol will enter your bloodstream much more slowly than if you drink
on an empty stomach. Being well hydrated before you drink alcohol will help you to drink more
slowly. Blackouts are caused by a rapid peaking of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). Both
these strategies will help prevent this rapid peak. The reasons why they work are given in detail
in the section on moderation.

3.2 Slow The Pace

Slow the pace of your drinking by switching from straight booze to wine or beer or by
alternating real drinks with non alcoholic drinks. This helps stop blackouts.

3.3 Beware Sleep Deprivation

If you drink when suffering sleep deprivation you are much more likely to have a blackout than
otherwise.

4) Rank The Potential Harms

Things which may immediately kill yourself or someone else rank as such as drunk driving or
drunk chainsaw juggling rank as MORE harmful than things which may eventually have a bad
effect down the line such as bone loss from failure to take your vitamins. When you are sober
stop and take the time to rank which of your drinking behaviors have the greatest potential harm
to yourself or someone else and make it a priority to eliminate those FIRST.
 Accepts, for better and or worse, that licit and illicit drug use is part of our world and chooses to
work to minimize its harmful effects rather than simply ignore or condemn them.
 Understands drug use as a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon that encompasses a continuum
of behaviors from severe abuse to total abstinence, and acknowledges that some ways of using
drugs are clearly safer than others.
 Establishes quality of individual and community life and well-being–not necessarily cessation of all
drug use–as the criteria for successful interventions and policies.
 Calls for the non-judgmental, non-coercive provision of services and resources to people who use
drugs and the communities in which they live in order to assist them in reducing attendant harm.
 Ensures that drug users and those with a history of drug use routinely have a real voice in the
creation of programs and policies designed to serve them.
 Affirms drugs users themselves as the primary agents of reducing the harms of their drug use,
and seeks to empower users to share information and support each other in strategies which meet
their actual conditions of use.
 Recognizes that the realities of poverty, class, racism, social isolation, past trauma, sex-based
discrimination and other social inequalities affect both people’s vulnerability to and capacity for
effectively dealing with drug-related harm.
 Does not attempt to minimize or ignore the real and tragic harm and danger associated with licit
and illicit drug use.