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Know what you're drinking

Learn more about your own drinking patterns, the benefits of cutting down, and simple tips for drinking less alcohol. 

Boost your energy, lose weight and save money 

Reducing your alcohol intake is a really effective way to improve your health, boost your energy, lose weight and save money. Any reduction in the amount you drink every week is good for you. 

Drinking less alcohol: 

  • improves your sleep, mood and energy levels
  • helps you feel better in the mornings and feel more energetic during the day
  • makes your skin look better. You’ll be more hydrated, with less redness, and smaller facial pores
  • help you lose weight and maintain a healthy metabolism
  • makes you less likely to pick up colds and bugs. If you do get ill, your recovery time will be shorter
  • reduces your chance of developing liver disease, heart disease, and some cancers 

Cutting down your alcohol intake 

These are some tips to help cut down your alcohol intake. 

Understand what you’re drinking and when

The NHS recommends that adults drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week. 

Recording what you drink for a few weeks will help you understand your drinking pattern, so you can decide if you want to make a change. 

Write down each drink you have, and how many units it has in it. The units of alcohol for the most common drinks are below: 

Spirits 

  • single spirit with mixer = 1 unit 
  • double spirit (shot or with mixer) = 2 units 
  • a cocktail, for example a mojito = 2 units 

Wine

  • small glass of wine (125ml) = 1.5 units 
  • medium glass of wine (175ml) = 2 units 
  • large glass of wine (250ml) = 3 units 
  • bottle of wine (750ml) = 9 units 

Beer and cider 

  • 3.5% beer or cider = 2 units 
  • 5% beer or cider = 3 units 

 You can download the free Try Dry app to help you keep track of your drinks and the units in them. 

Have alcohol free days  

Having a few alcohol-free days each week is a good way to cut down and give your body a rest, improve your mental health and save money.  

Think about trying a longer time without alcohol, for example trying Dry January when you don’t drink any alcohol for the month of January. 

Alternate options  

You can still have a drink but cut down by adding in water, soft drinks or lower alcohol options. 

  • measure your wine and spirits if you’re at home so that you know how much you're drinking
  • drink smaller drinks. Try bottled beer instead of pints, or a small glass of wine instead of a large one
  • swap strong beers or wines for ones with a lower strength – check the percentage on the bottle. The lower the percentage, the less units of alcohol are in the drink
  • alternate alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks, and have a glass of water before you have your first alcoholic drink. If you're drinking white wine, add a splash of soda to make your drink last longer
  • there's now a wide range of low or no alcohol beers and wines, as well as spirit alternatives that you can try instead of, or to alternate with alcoholic drinks

Support if you need it 

If you’re worried about the amount you’re drinking or you need more help to drink less, speak to your GP.  

There’s also support available to cut down or stop drinking through Camden’s drug and alcohol service. Call 020 7485 2722 for free, flexible, one-to-one support by phone, with evening and weekend appointments.